5 Detroit Tigers players that may have lost their roster spot this offseason

During what's been a quiet offseason for a majority of the league, the Detroit Tigers have been in the top 10 of free agent spenders. They've added Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty to their rotation and have Andrew Chafin back in the bullpen. On the trade market side of things, they kicked off the offseason by acquiring Mark Canha from the Brewers. All things considered, the Tigers front office is, at the very least, motivated to put a few new players on the field who will hopefully compliment a promising young core.

After adding Chafin, their most recent signing, the Tigers 40-man is full. If they're not finished making moves, some changes will need to come to the roster in order to accommodate new players down the line. Some names, like Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Javier Báez are givens not only for the 40-man but for the Opening Day lineup. However, there are a number of names on the roster that could be moved — traded away, sent down to the minors, or DFA'ed. Here are five Tigers who may lose their roster spots this season.

5 Detroit Tigers players that may have lost their roster spot this offseason

Akil Baddoo

There's been a question mark over Akil Baddoo for a few years now. After getting off to a historically hot start to his major league career in 2021, he's cooled off and slumped significantly over the past two seasons. This year, he hit .218/.310/.372 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 112 games, having begun the season back in Triple-A. The Tigers still tendered Baddoo a contract instead of letting him go halfway through November, even after they traded for left fielder Mark Canha, widening their outfield options, and Scott Harris has said of Baddoo, "There is a role for him. We're not an organization that wants to give up players that can affect the game [the way Baddoo did in his rookie season] for nothing."

Still, Baddoo's name has been floated as a potential trade candidate (subscription required) this offseason. If he's not traded, then he could be vulnerable to a demotion back to the minors. FanGraphs predicts Canha, Parker Meadows, and Riley Greene will have the outfield more or less on lock next season. They do have Baddoo playing in left 32% of the time, most likely given Canha's age and in anticipation of a possible injury, but Baddoo's future on the 40-man roster does seem more tenuous than that of utility men Zach McKinstry, Matt Vierling, or Andy Ibáñez, who the Tigers have been more vocal about their affection for.