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

The start of the 2024 season is right around the corner, and as of right now, the Detroit Tigers' 40-man roster is full. Pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 14, the full squad reports on Feb. 19, and they'll take on the Yankees to kick off spring training before heading to the south side of Chicago to begin the regular season on the road.

With all of those dates creeping ever-closer, it's time to take a long look at the 40-man to see how these Tigers will look next to the competition. Are there players on that roster who shouldn't be there? There's still time in the offseason to make some changes, even though the Tigers have quieted significantly in these last few months.

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

Zach McKinstry

The Tigers do love themselves a utility player. They have jacks-of-all-trades littered throughout the 40-man, including Matt Vierling, who they converted when he came to the Tigers from the Phillies. Vierling adapted well enough and picked up a positive OAA at third by the end of the season, on top of having a team-best OBP at the plate. McKinstry, meanwhile, put up a 0 OAA at the position and had a .231/.302/.351 batting line. He was more valuable at second base, but the Tigers also have Andy Ibáñez to shuffle between second and third -- and he hit much better than McKinstry in 2023.

And ... what's that right over the Tigers' middle infielders' shoulders? It's Colt Keith, with his six-year, $28.6 million extension, coming in to play second base for what FanGraphs predicts will be more than half the season. Letting McKinstry go could be an unfortunate case of needing to trim some fat. He could still be valuable in a trade; plenty of teams would love a versatile bench bat to employ on their regular players' off days.

McKinstry has been name-checked by Scott Harris throughout the offseason as a player the Tigers expect to use at third base in 2024, but letting him go could also cut through some of the noise and provide a little more stability to the lineup and out in the field. The Tigers clearly have players who could make up the loss.

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.