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

Wenceel Pérez/Eddys Leonard/Donny Sands, or any of the six other players called up on Oct. 2

On Oct. 2, the day after the end of the regular season, the Tigers moved nine players from minor league rosters to the big league club's, including Nos. 19, 20, and 29 prospects Sawyer Gipson-Long, Wenceel Pérez, and Eddys Leonard. Eight of the nine players are still on Detroit's 40-man (Spencer Turnbull was DFA'd in November), and any/all of them are in a vulnerable position to lose their roster spots by the start of the 2024 season, especially if the Tigers any more new players in the offseason. Pérez, Leonard, and Donny Sands are perhaps the most likely to be sent down first, as they have yet to see big league time at all.

Also among the eight players called up on Oct. 2 are Nick Maton and Joey Wentz, who have the most major league time. Maton struggled both offensively and defensively this year, batting .173/.288/.305 and making a few embarrassing gaffs at third during two separate stints in Detroit. Wentz, after a promising few innings in 2022, pitched over 105 innings with 19 starts in 2023, for a 6.90 ERA and a rough 2.13 HR/9. With the offseason additions of Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty, Wentz's future as a starter for the Tigers is pretty much nixed, but it remains to be seen if they'll move him to the bullpen.

Given the Tigers' apparent enthusiasm for Sawyer Gipson-Long (he's becoming a more and more frequent presence on the team's social media pages), he could be the most likely to maintain a roster spot come Opening Day. He pitched 20 major league innings in 2023 for a 2.70 ERA, including a five-inning appearance on Sept. 16 that featured 11 strikeouts.

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