Detroit Tigers: Candidates for final 40-man roster spot

Detroit Tigers fans are seeing a team operate with an open 40-man roster spot. Despite it being in mid-August, there’s still time to add contributors. Here’s are candidates for the final 40-man roster spot.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila has done an excellent job in finding under-the-radar contributors since taking over as the head of the front office.

Avila brought in Mikie Mahtook (1.3 WAR in 81 games), John Hicks (0.7 WAR in 27 games), Alex Presley (0.3 WAR in 38 games), Jim Adduci (0.3 WAR in 29 games) and Daniel Stumpf (0.1 WAR in 23 innings pitched) all of whom have made an impact in varying amounts of action for the Tigers.

The five have been bright spots for the Tigers this season.

Other bright spots include long reliever Warwick Saupold (3.54 ERA in 48.1 frames) and 25-year-old shortstop Dixon Machado (.296 average in 108 plate appearances).

Saupold and Machado were developed in Detroit’s minor league system, but they’ve shown well in extended playing time this season.

With an open 40-man roster spot, there’s still opportunity for Avila to add a player capable of contributing in the present and future.

Here’s a look at the players who could fill that spot for Avila and the Detroit Tigers.

External Candidates

John Axford

Cut loose by the Oakland Athletics after pitching to a 6.43 ERA and a 5.71 FIP in 21 innings, Axford still has the potential to be effective.

He can still miss bats, with 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings this year. What’s more, Axford was effective in the Majors as recently as last season, with a 3.97 ERA, a 3.99 SIERA and 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a 10.6 swinging strike percentage that was the second-best mark of his career.

Axford also has 144 saves under his belt, making him an ideal candidate to step in as a closer when Shane Greene is unavailable.

Christian Bergman

The former Colorado hurler has 23 career starts in 66 lifetime outings in the Majors, including eight with Seattle this season.

Bergman was designated for assignment after notching a 4.91 ERA and a 5.63 FIP in 51.1 for the American League West club.

While those numbers aren’t anything to gawk at, Bregman’s numbers were largely marred by two poor starts.

He was tagged for 14 hits and 10 runs in four innings against the Washington Nationals on May 23, and surrendered 10 hits and nine runs in 2.2 frames against the Minnesota Twins on June 13.

Take those two starts out, and Bregman actually had a 1.83 ERA in 44.2 innings. That’s not the largest sample size in the world, but it isn’t the smallest either.

If Anibal Sanchez continues to hemorrhage runs and Daniel Norris remains sidelined on the disabled list, the Tigers should take a flier on Bregman to make a handful of starts down the stretch.

Internal Candidates Part 1: Pitching Prospects

Bryan Garcia

Outside of Jairo Labourt, Bryan Garcia may be the closest of the Detroit Tigers’ top pitching prospects to reach the Majors.

However, unlike Labourt, Garcia isn’t on the 40-man roster yet.

A sixth-round selection in 2016, Garcia has risen quickly in Detroit’s system, dominating at every level.

After notching a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings for Single-A West Michigan, the Miami product has allowed just two total earned runs in stops with Advanced-A Lakeland, Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

Overall, the right-hander owns a 1.32 ERA, a 0.965 WHIP and 14.2 strikeouts per nine frames in 47.2 innings.

The reliever has punched out 75 of the 184 batters he’s faced in 2017.

The Tigers probably don’t want to rush him, but it is going to be hard to ignore Garcia down the stretch if continues to dominate Triple-A hitters.

In six outings with the Mud Hens so far, Garcia has struck out nine in six innings compared to just three walks and three hits allowed.

Zac Reininger

Another hard-throwing right-hander, Reining hasn’t quite been as successful as Garcia this year, but he’s still been effective.

He’s pitched to a 2.55 ERA and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 60 minor league frames, including a 1.17 ERA in 7.2 innings with Toledo.

The 2018 campaign may be a more likely arrival date for Reininger, but like Garcia, he could conceivably force the Tigers’ hand if he continues to pitch well.