3 Detroit Tigers who don't deserve to be on the 40-man roster

Akil Baddoo

There have been question marks around Akil Baddoo's future with the Tigers for some time, with calls for a trade cropping up through the offseason. However, those calls have seemingly fallen on deaf ears in the front office, because Harris reaffirmed that while Baddoo might not be on the Opening Day roster, he is still "very much a part of the team" (subscription required). Although the Tigers' outfield seems pretty locked up with Parker Meadows in center, Riley Greene in right, and Mark Canha in left, where Baddoo usually plays, the team still seems to find Baddoo's presence valuable.

It was, a few years ago. He came in hot in his rookie season, playing in 124 games in 2021 and hitting a respectable .259/.330/.436. The team seemed to be excited about him and he made the Opening Day lineup in 2022, but he struggled through April and was sent down to Toledo in May. He mashed through Triple-A and was called back up, but stumbled again in the majors. His 2023 was similarly up and down, but he played in 112 games and at least hit better than he had in 2022.

But with that kind of lightly promising year and a crowded outfield, should the Tigers reconsider trading him? They might be able to get a serviceable reliever or prospects in exchange, and that would be easier to work around than Baddoo's inconsistency and trying to jam him into the lineup when better players are available.