1 final Tigers non-tender candidate after Detroit cleaned house on Tuesday

The Tigers added a shocking five prospects to their full 40-man on Tuesday — including top prospects Thayron Liranzo, Hao-Yu Lee and Jake Miller — and a massive roster culling followed immediately to fit them all. Jason Foley, Sean Guenther, Dugan Darnell and Jack Little (both of whom were just picked up off of waivers from the Pirates) as well as Tyler Mattison and Tanner Rainey were all designated for assignment.

Rainey and Foley were both arbitration-eligible, as was Alex Lange, who was DFA'd on Nov. 12 and released on Tuesday. Cutting them should free up around $5.65 million for the Tigers' payroll, if MLB Trade Rumors' estimations are accurate.

There's still a cavalcade of newly-eligible players the Tigers will have to settle with on top of whatever mammoth number Tarik Skubal is expected to get, but Detroit could still trim by the non-tender deadline on Friday.

One name sticks out like a sore thumb. Andy Ibáñez, the Tigers' resident lefty killer in 2024, saw his role shrink in 2025, and he was even demoted for just under two months in the summer. MLBTR projects he'll make $1.8 million in arbitration.

Tigers could non-tender Andy Ibáñez at Friday deadline to free up more payroll this offseason

Ibáñez, the second-oldest position player on the Tigers' roster (just a few months younger than Javy Báez), hit .292 with a .802 OPS against lefties in 154 plate appearances last season. He was still markedly better against lefties than righties this year, but he hit a far worse .258 with a .714 OPS against southpaws. Jahmai Jones emerged as the stronger lefty-killing option, hitting .288 with a .970 OPS against them, and he's still two years away from arbitration eligibility.

Ibáñez fit into the Tigers' second/third base carousel nicely in 2024, but Colt Keith moved more permanently into third base with Gleyber Torres at second in 2025. Torres coming back for 2026, on top of Jones' emergence as the better pinch-hitter, renders Ibáñez ineffective.

The Tigers also have prospects that they need to figure out how to fit into a crowded infield next season. Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, and Lee can all play second or third, will be cheaper than Ibáñez, and have far more potential to turn into everyday players.

So even though the Tigers have already slimmed down their payroll obligations a little by cutting Foley, Rainey, and Lange, Ibáñez's name should be one to look out for on Friday.