4 Tigers prospects that are expendable, 4 that should be kept for 2025

When it comes to prospect depth, the Detroit Tigers (under Scott Harris) have went far beyond what Al Avila attempted to do in the draft and with player development However, as Harris heads into year three of his regime, the days of players staying with the organization with subpar numbers are over, no matter where they were drafted.

One recent example is Daniel Cabrera, the team's third-round draft pick in 2020. He was sent down to the player development list in the middle of the summer and has not resurfaced. Matt Manning, who is technically past prospect status at this point, was healthy when the playoffs started, was left in Toledo and not mentioned as a potential call-up.

The organization has proven it can develop pitching, but when it comes to hitting, that is still a process, with Colt Keith and Parker Meadows as recent examples of prospects who have turned into contributors at the big league level. But with Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and international signings like Josue Briceño showing the ability to hit and control the strike zone, that list may grow.

So who has lowered their prospect stock status enough for the organization to become expandable? Remember, it was Harris who also said that prospects could be used to acquire talent, so those players should be given some consideration in this list.

4 Detroit Tigers prospects that are expendable

INF Peyton Graham

Infielder Peyton Graham, who the Tigers selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma, has been hampered by injuries over the last two seasons. He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League but was moved to left field to get some more playing time. Graham's struggles at the plate from the season have unfortunately continued in the AFL, where he is hitting .143/.182/.286 (3-for-21).

With the infield getting more crowded with the recent first-round draft pick Bryce Rainer and the emergence of players such as Hao-Yu Lee and Franyerber Montilla, unless Graham can show he can hit with the power potential that was there at Oklahoma, Detroit more than likely could move on.

INF Andrew Navigato

Navigato is old, by prospect standards, as he turns 27 in May. He had a great season at Triple-A Toledo, hitting .271/.363/.500 with 21 home runs and 82 RBI, playing all over the infield. Despite those good numbers and being a solid defender, he was passed over for promotion to the 40-man roster. With the Trey Sweeney trade and his small sample size, the days of Navigato trying to get a spot on the roster seem likely over.

INF Cristian Santana

It wasn't too long ago that Santana was considered among one of the better infield prospects in the Tigers system, but those days are gone. He turns 21 in a few weeks but has spent the last three seasons in Lakeland. While that seems to be young to be giving up on a prospect, the combo of power and slick fielding has rarely come together with Santana striking out at a 33% clip in his third season at Lakeland.

It's hard to imagine, unless there are some wholesale changes to his approach at the plate, Santana adapting to High-A, as he also has seen several trips to the player development list.

C Eliezer Alfonzo

Alfonzo's game has grown since he signed back in July 2016, but when the Tigers acquired Liam Hicks at the trade deadline in the Andrew Chafin deal, Hicks saw a lion's share of the playing time down the stretch during Double-A Erie's repeat run as Eastern League champs.

While it could be possible to see Alfonzo start the season again in Erie, the other trade piece the Tigers picked up at the trade deadline was Thayron Liranzo, and he, more than likely, would be getting the bulk of the playing time in Erie because of his ability to hit.

4 Detroit Tigers prospects that should be kept for 2025

1B/C Josue Briceño

What Briceño is doing in the Arizona Fall League is something you would see in a video game. He is batting .458/.515/.915 (27-for-59) with seven home runs. The Tigers potentially have another Top-100 prospect in their system with Briceño, who just turned 20 in September.

INF Franyerber Montilla

After an impressive Florida Complex debut, the switch-hitting Montilla struggled a bit when he was promoted to Single-A Lakeland but finished the season strong, going 7-for-11 in the FSL Championship series against Palm Beach. He has shown a good eye at the plate and plays solid defense. He turns 20 in April.

LHP Jake Miller

Miller made some waves this season, moving up three levels in 2024 by striking out 104 in 87 1/3 innings of work. Drafted in the eighth round in 2022 out of Valparaiso, Miller's ability to change eye levels with a combo of a fastball, change and slider makes him a good candidate for a bullpen spot in 2025.

LHP Gabriel Reyes

Reyes was dominant down the stretch for Lakeland along with Rayner Castillo, striking out 64 in 47 innings of work as a starter. What his role will be in 2025 is unknown, but he did raise a few eyebrows with his stuff.