Detroit Tigers: 3 players who may not return for the 2023 season

The Detroit Tigers are going to see some roster shakeups ahead of 2023.

As the Detroit Tigers finish the 2022 season, some players may not return when the 2023 season rolls around. Especially with the Tigers moving on from Al Avila after seven seasons of him being at the helm as the team’s general manager.

For the Detroit Tigers, a wholesale change could occur in the team’s front office. With a plethora of options for the general manager position, there is a lot to consider as the team continues to conduct its search. Whether they opt to go with an inside hire like Sam Menzin or someone else or choose an outside hire who may pique their interest, there are options.

The Tigers organization is going to shift its direction. Even with an inside hire, things will change, and a complete inventory or analysis of the organization will happen. This is going to result in the Tigers making some personnel changes.

That does not just apply to the front office. However, there will be players who are on their way out after the 2022 season. With some roster changes likely to be on the way, there’s going to be a bit of a shakeup.

Whether it’s by way of trades, cuts, or a designation for assignment, things are going to change on the roster. The Tigers need to make changes, so there are going to be some familiar faces who end up being on the way out.

Here are three Detroit Tigers players who may be on their way out.

Detroit Tigers corner infielder Jeimer Candelario has left a hole at third base.

While Jeimer Candelario was one of the prized pieces the Detroit Tigers acquired in their trade with the Chicago Cubs back in 2017, things have been a little rocky. The 28-year-old corner infielder has had a very up-and-down performance.

At times, he’s left the fans thinking he could be the future third baseman for this team. More recently, it’s looked like he has forgotten how to hit and is slowly regressing. In 2022, Candelario produced a .201/.262/.347 slash line with 14 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs on the season.

As the 2022 season continues, he is still looking to get things back on track. The power numbers may be better for Candelario, but there’s still a lot of room to get back to the level of hitting he showed in 2021.

He has proven that the Tigers have a hole at third base. With Spencer Torkelson back in the big leagues and expected to be the team’s future at first base, Candelario needs to improve vastly. As the Tigers move forward, it’s hard to see him being a part of the future plans.

Whether it’s a new player from within, Ryan Kreidler shifting over to third full-time, or a free agent signing, the team will likely have to explore other options. This means the team may opt to get rid of Candelario to go in another direction.

It may be time for the Detroit Tigers to give up on INF/RHP Kody Clemens.

The Detroit Tigers selected Kody Clemens in the third round of the 2018 MLB First-Year Amateur Draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. After selecting him, there was a lot of hope that he could pan out being a future big leaguer who helps the future of this organization.

After making his debut in 2022, things have not been the greatest. His performance has been quite lackluster. In fact, he’s been better on the mound than in the batters’ box at times. In the header, Clemens was listed as an INF/RHP because he has become the team’s go-to reliever in blowout games.

He channels his inner Clemens bloodlines, including his recent strikeout of Shohei Ohtani that led to a wholesome moment where he kept the ball and later was able to get it signed by the two-way superstar.

Unfortunately for Clemens, things have not quite clicked offensively with some worrisome performances in the batters’ box. He’s logged 46 games, totaling 100 at-bats, where he has slashed a measly .140/.200/.270 with 28 punchouts.

It’s been far from a smooth performance for the infielder. He’s a second baseman by trade but has sometimes been shifted around. In all reality, it may be time to send him back to the minors. While it may not be an outright cut, it may be time to shift around the roster and give Clemens a reset.

Clemens has severely underwhelmed in his performance. So the Tigers should be considering moving in a different direction. After a switch-up in the front office and a new general manager coming in, the Tigers may opt to go in a different direction.

At a minimum, the Tigers need to move Clemens back to the minors and give him a reset for the 2023 season.