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

Detroit Tigers RHP Alex Faedo will start 2024 in Triple-A.

The Detroit Tigers have to be running out of patience when it comes to Alex Faedo. The once highly touted first-rounder has become nothing more than a right-hander likely to have better upside as a reliever. He continues to start games for Detroit, so maybe it's pessimistic to say Faedo is better off as a reliever, but with hopes of making the big-league roster, it might be worth the conversion.

Faedo has also had his share of injury troubles, making it an even harder sell for him to be a big-leaguer for the Detroit Tigers moving forward. But, in all likelihood, he'll end up in Triple-A, looking to work his way back to the big leagues after playing a role with the team in 2023. He pitched in 15 games, with 12 of them being starts.

The right-hander pitched to a 4.45 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and managed 20 walks and 58 strikeouts over 64.2 innings of work for the Tigers at the big-league level. He pitched in just eight games in the minors, all of them being starts, posting a 3.69 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP and managing seven walks to 38 punchouts over 31.2 innings of work for the Toledo Mud Hens.

In each of the last two years, Faedo has made big league appearances and held on for stints with the Tigers. In 2023, he had a good chunk of starts with Detroit, but with the added depth in the Tigers rotation, he'll likely be bounced to Triple-A Toledo in 2024. He will start in the minors and serve as depth if the team loses a starter.

Especially knowing that Faedo has the big-league starting experience, he's perfect for the depth starter role being stashed in Toledo. However, a move to the bullpen as a reliever may be better for the long run with Faedo. But time will tell. When the Tigers break camp at the end of March, Faedo will likely be heading to Triple-A to join the Mud Hens.