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The Tigers's arbitration class creates several roster decisions before free agency
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- The Tigers's arbitration class creates several roster decisions before free agency
(IMAGN IMAGES VIA Reuters Connect)
Anthony Fenech talks about his new book "Off the Record"
The Detroit Tigers have 11 arbitration-eligible players this offseason, and for the first time in a while, the process feels like more than just a series of predictable salary raises.
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According to MLB Trade Rumors' projections, Detroit's arbitration class is expected to cost roughly $42 million in 2027. Riley Greene leads the group at a projected $9.3 million, followed by Spencer Torkelson at $7.7 million, Zach McKinstry at $5 million and Will Vest at $4.4 million.
Most of those numbers are not surprising by themselves. The more interesting part is deciding which players still fit a Tigers roster that should look considerably different by Opening Day.
Greene is the easiest decision on the list, and his projected raise is simply the cost of keeping one of Detroit's most established hitters. The larger conversation with Greene will eventually become whether the Tigers want to pursue a long-term extension, but there is no real question about tendering him a contract for 2027.
Torkelson is not in much danger of being non-tendered either, especially after Scott Harris spoke positively about his September during the end-of-season press conference. I already wrote recently about whether $7.7 million changes how Detroit should view him, and the conclusion remains the same: that salary is not excessive enough to force a decision by itself, but it does increase the pressure for Torkelson to provide more than league-average production at first base.
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The more difficult decisions begin further down the list.
Vest is projected to earn $4.4 million and will enter his final year of arbitration before free agency. Normally that would be an easy salary to justify for a high-leverage reliever, but Vest underwent surgery for a right elbow stress fracture in July and later had a separate hip procedure, leaving Detroit to make a decision before seeing what he looks like in spring training.
That does not necessarily mean the Tigers should move on from him. Detroit's bullpen was already one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster, and releasing a potentially useful reliever simply because of uncertainty would only create another hole that has to be filled.
Matt Vierling presents a different issue.
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Vierling is projected to make $3.7 million, which is not an outrageous number, but his injuries and offensive decline over the last two seasons make his roster spot much less secure. He also has more than five years of service time, meaning Detroit cannot simply send him to Triple-A if younger outfielders pass him on the depth chart.
Zach McKinstry might be the most interesting decision of the entire group. His projected $5 million salary is significant enough that Detroit has to consider the roster spot carefully, but his defensive versatility still gives him value that is difficult to replace with one player.
McKinstry can cover multiple positions, provide strong defense and give A.J. Hinch options late in games. That profile becomes especially useful on a roster expected to feature several young players whose defensive homes may still be developing. The rest of the arbitration class is comparatively inexpensive.
Kerry Carpenter is projected at $4.1 million, Tyler Holton at $2.4 million, Beau Brieske and Reese Olson at $1.5 million apiece, Wenceel Pérez at $1.4 million and Parker Meadows at approximately $1 million.
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Those salaries by themselves are not likely to dictate Detroit's decisions. Roster space could.
The Tigers finished the season with nine players on the 60-day injured list, and those players eventually have to be restored to the 40-man roster. Detroit will also have prospects who need protection from the Rule 5 Draft, which means some players will inevitably be squeezed out even if their projected salaries appear reasonable.
That is why the Nov. 20 tender deadline could be more meaningful than usual for Detroit.
The Tigers are trying to transition from a roster built around veterans and developing players into one that gives more responsibility to McGonigle, Clark, Dillon Dingler and the next group coming behind them. Some familiar players may simply no longer fit that transition, even if they remain useful major leaguers.
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Detroit also has considerably more payroll flexibility than it did entering 2026, so saving a few million dollars should not be the primary objective. The better question is whether each player occupies a roster spot that could be used to address a more important need, particularly in the bullpen, outfield or at first base.
That makes this arbitration class less about the $42 million total and more about how Scott Harris wants the next version of the Tigers to look.
Greene, Torkelson and Olson appear straightforward. Once Detroit gets beyond those names, however, the decisions become much more about roster construction than salary arbitration.
