3 Tigers players who've already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

Since their series against the Dodgers blessedly came to an end, the Tigers have seriously entered the conversation around potential playoff contenders this season. They've enjoyed three straight series wins against the Mariners, White Sox (also a sweep), and the Yankees, and enter the weekend sitting atop the AL Central.

However, things are far from perfect. The Tigers have suffered multiple injuries already, mostly to their outfielders, and while Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and even Spencer Torkelson and Zach McKinstry have risen to the challenge of proving that Detroit's success last year wasn't a fluke, there are some trouble spots on the roster.

3 Tigers players who've already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

Ryan Kreidler

Kreidler's days in the majors are clearly numbered, and he'll be the easy cut when Matt Vierling comes off of the IL, but Kreidler's future would be in flux even if it had seemed more assured from the outset. In 10 games and nine starts in center field, he's made some good defensive plays that initially justified his presence on the Opening Day roster over Justyn-Henry Malloy's, but Kreidler's offense has been exactly what Tigers fans have come to expect from him, which is to say: it's been bad.

He's batting .120 with a .305 OPS and has a 46.4% strikeout rate, zero homers, and zero RBI. He still has a minor league option available, so the Tigers will be able to send him down without complications as soon as Vierling, who was cleared to begin a throwing program this week, is ready to come off of the IL.

Colt Keith

Keith is currently putting the Tigers between a rock and a hard place. They were able to (deservedly) demote Spencer Torkelson and Parker Meadows without pushback from fans last season, but the six-year extension the Tigers gave to Keith ahead of the 2024 season complicates his situation. Sending him down to Triple-A could be the way for him to get his confidence back and make some adjustments, but it'd be a bad look for the team.

He's batting .171 with a .612 OPS and just one RBI through his first 12 games and has already made some truly awful errors at first base, including sending a throw into foul territory despite only being, at most, three feet away from first. If Keith were to be demoted, it probably wouldn't come soon, as the Tigers would want to give him a longer runway to get settled into the new season. Otherwise, they'll have a tough decisions to make if he doesn't improve by the end of the month.

Kenta Maeda

The Tigers were hopeful that Maeda would bounce back this season after racking up a 7.26 ERA through 16 starts and being demoted to the bullpen last year, but that hasn't happened so far. He was a part of the rotation conversation during spring training, but he was an easy cut when Casey Mize started to show marked signs of improvement. In just three innings so far this season, Maeda has a 15.00 ERA.

The $10 million that the Tigers owe him is going to keep him on the roster until his contract is up, but it's clear that Maeda is the weak link in the bullpen. If they were brave enough, they would cut him to make room for a guy like Keider Montero, but if they were ever going to dump him, they would've done it last year.