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The Detroit Tigers made the obvious decision by adding top prospect Kevin McGonigle on their Opening Day roster.
Given the circumstances surrounding the Tigers this season — the potential final season of Tarik Skubal in Detroit and Justin Verlander's swan song — McGonigle being on the roster puts the Tigers in a position to maximize a season where their chips should be pushed to the middle of the table. But at the other end of the conversation, there was going to be a veteran squeezed off the roster upon McGonigle's arrival.
The decision came down to Parker Meadows or Wenceel Pérez. Meadows is with the club in what appears to be one final opportunity, and Pérez will open the season in Triple-A Toledo. Neither outfielder had an encouraging run during spring training, but the impression from Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is that they want Pérez to get some regular playing time in the minors as a way to iron out his swing.
AJ Hinch reveals why Wenceel Perez didn’t make Tigers' Opening Day roster
A.J. Hinch on Wenceel Pérez to Triple-A Toledo: "He has done so many good things for us — and he will do more for us in the coming months. Right now, he's going to go to Triple-A and get locked back in on controlling the strike zone." #Tigers https://t.co/iV32vmQjoi
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) March 24, 2026
Initially signed by the Tigers as an infielder, Pérez switched to the outfield ahead of the 2024 season. It created a pathway for him to spend a healthy amount of time in the majors over the last two seasons, and last year, he took a step forward with his development. Serving mostly as the Tigers' fourth outfielder, Pérez slashed .244/.308/.430 with 13 home runs and a wRC+ of 103.
Not terrific numbers, but a production level that put Pérez in a position this spring training to cement his spot on the Tigers' bench. Instead, he may have lost his job. Not that Meadows was much better, hitting .175 in 46 plate appearances, but it was a high enough bar that Pérez couldn't clear. The 26-year-old struck out in 12 of his 42 plate appearances this season, and all six of his hits were singles.
An important reminder is that the Opening Day roster is rarely the roster the Tigers have at the end of the season. Just last season, Pérez opened the season in Triple-A before becoming a fixture in the team's outfield plans at the end of the year. Once Pérez finds his approach, there's a safe chance that he will be back in Detroit.