Detroit Tigers: Ryan Kreidler increasing his value for the long term

Ryan Kreidler performing well boosts his long-term value for the Detroit Tigers.

With his recent performance, Detroit Tigers infielder Ryan Kreidler has been increasing his value in the long game. After making his big league debut and proving himself, he has seemingly begun to settle in and find his way in the big league environment.

For the Detroit Tigers, this is only a good thing for them in the long term. It’s a two-way benefit. If Kreidler is better, he’s proving he belongs in the big leagues or will be an everyday big leaguer at one point.

While benefitting Kreidler, the Tigers are getting to see one of their prospects pan out. He has the potential to keep increasing value which makes him an asset and even possibly a trade chip if the team opts for a refresh.

Though no one wants to take a few steps back in the rebuild, some trades and roster moves could be on the horizon when a new general manager comes in and attempts to shake things up.

After making his debut, he has proven that he can handle the big league game thus far. While he is not tearing the cover off the ball or bursting onto the scene, he has been getting his feet wet. On top of that, he has been hitting; he’s finding the barrel and picking up hits.

Kreidler has now played eight games, totaling 31 plate appearances. He needs about 470 more before a real decision can be made about him (personal rule of thumb), but we can start forming opinions about what he will bring to the table.

Kreidler has slashed .259/.323/.407 for the Tigers, finally tallying his first home run last week. He has proven he can play short in the limited chances he has been given. But his real task has been handling the hot corner.

There is not an up-and-coming third baseman prospect in the minors that will be here in 2023, ready to mash. There are a few non-3B prospects who could fit the build as a potential breakout prospect, but Kreidler is the current best available option.

He may be a shortstop by trade, and I may have recently mentioned that Kreidler was going to get some looks at shortstop (which he has in four games), but the bulk of his time is going to be at the hot corner.

If Kreidler proves he can handle third base defensively and be a promising bat, there’s a lot to like about what he can do moving forward. These last 22 games are going to be huge for Kreidler. He will be looking to prove himself and cement himself as a big leaguer next year.

The chance is there. It’s about Kreidler finishing strong and a new front office regime being impressed with what they see.

Do not sleep on the Detroit Tigers’ new regime to shake things up.

While it may be a given, when the Detroit Tigers begin that transition after hiring a new general manager… no one is safe. There will be players that the new regime feels are not worth their time or are better served as trade chips to help the organization move forward.

It feels like Kreidler is one of those players who could get lost in the shuffle. What I mean is that he has not had a huge big league sample size. Injuries hampered him from more big league time in 2022. He’s proven he can hit in the minors, even if this year’s performance could have been better.

The intrigue for what his tools can amount to be is there. With a new regime looking to shake things up, who’s to say that Kreidler does not become a trade chip to try and bring in someone to fill a hole somewhere else?

While I am hoping that Kreidler gets his chances with the Tigers, there is still a distinct possibility that he could be viewed as a trade chip by the new regime, whoever that may be. That’s the “wait-and-see” aspect of the situation.