3 Tigers starting pitchers who will begin the 2024 season in Triple-A and 2 who won't

Detroit Tigers RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long will start in Triple-A in 2024.

The Detroit Tigers are going to have to make some decisions. One of those decisions will come with the promotion of pitching prospects. For Sawyer Gipson-Long, there may be better times for a promotion. The 26-year-old made his big-league debut in 2023 but may have to stay "in waiting" for 2024.

At least to start the season, Gipson-Long will be in the minors. The Detroit Tigers do not have the room to bring on another right-hander. While Gipson-Long deserves a big-league look and will likely have a chance in 2024, the right-hander is unlikely to end up in Detroit, barring injuries this spring.

Gipson-Long is likely destined to start in Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens and anchor their rotation for this summer. He's coming off of 2023, where he made six starts and two relief appearances at the Triple-A level, pitching to a 5.45 ERA over 34.2 innings pitched. He had a 1.36 WHIP and 14 walks with 50 strikeouts.

Surely, the numbers do not pop off the page at you, but stuff-wise, Gipson-Long has shown flashes of potential to be a big-leaguer. Detroit will mix him into the rotation if there are any injuries. But the team will likely send him to Triple-A to kick off the year.

The Tigers likely just do not have the space to bring Gipson-Long north with them. However, given that he has only thrown in four big-league games, there's a lot of room for him to keep developing. When the Tigers kick off 2024, expect Gipson-Long to be in Triple-A Toledo.