Does Justyn-Henry Malloy overcrowd the Detroit Tigers at first base?

When Miguel Cabrera left town, Spencer Torkelson was the heir to the first base crown. He smashed 31 home runs in 2023, and then completely lost his mojo so badly in 2024 that he was demoted to Triple-A Toledo to work on his mechanics. He came back and took a minor step forward, but failed to truly prove himself. That led to offseason trade rumors for Torkelson.

That sequence of events led to the Tigers making a hard decision. The team signed Gleyber Torres to play second base, which left Colt Keith unjustly without a position. This guy not only had a good start to the year, but made adjustments to the league, and led the Tigers to a playoff run. Shortly after the Torres signing, the team announced that Keith would move to first base. This created a logjam between Keith and Torkelson.

Then, in a strange twist, the Tigers reported to spring training and announced Justyn-Henry Malloy would take reps at first base. This was confusing to any fan who was even moderately committed to the team. You have your everyday first baseman in Keith and a potentially viable backup in Spencer Torkelson ... so why add another piece to the puzzle?

The Detroit Tigers need to commit to one position for Justyn-Henry Malloy

This not only is confusing from a fan perspective, but it has to be confusing to Malloy. He has been taking reps at first, third, and multiple outfield positions throughout his short career. It is hard enough to defend one position, let alone learning multiple in such a short time. Malloy was drafted in 2021 and has played four positions since then. That isn't easy, especially for a developing player.

The question now becomes: why is Malloy in this position? Is it that the Tigers don't believe in his talent and feel he needs more versatility to contribute? Or are they quietly giving up on Torkelson and need a backup first baseman? Both are viable options.

It is hard to give up on someone who hit 31 homers two years ago. It is hard to give up on a former number one overall pick. At the same time, you are running a business and tough decisions need to be made.

Then again, perhaps we're thinking too hard? The Tigers are known for their pinch hitting in addition to utilizing versatility, so maybe this is just another way they hope to deploy a talented player.