Andre Lipcius likely to get chance with Detroit Tigers before Malloy

Detroit Tigers may give Andre Lipcius a shot in the big leagues in 2023.

All is quiet with the Detroit Tigers. After poking the bear to get the organization to bring Michael Lorenzen in on a one-year deal, things returned to silence. The team has holes to be filled, including third base.

It continues to be problematic for the Detroit Tigers as they work to devise a plan for the 2023 season. The team's best options for third base are Ryan Kreidler, Jonathan Schoop, and possibly even Andy Ibáñez.

The point is, there's still worlds of room for improvement. But one thing is for sure, the in-house candidates to help fill the void are also limited. While the Tigers did go out and trade for a third base prospect in Justyn-Henry Malloy.

Some seem to think he could be a possible remedy for the third base void. But Malloy still has developing to do and needs time to prove he's ready for the big leagues. Plus, Malloy is not on the team's 40-man roster.

The Tigers may shuffle the roster around to find a spot for Mallow on the 40-man, but for now, he will continue to be a minor leaguer come Spring.

While competition during Spring Training is a good thing, Andre Lipcius will be going head-to-head for time at third. He was named to the team's 40-man roster to avoid exposure in the Rule 5 Draft earlier this fall.

Lipcius has been with the organization since the 2019 MLB Draft, where he was selected in the third round out of the University of Tennessee. He has worked his way up through the organization over the last couple of years.

He split the year in 2022 between Double-A with the Erie SeaWolves and the Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens. He spent the majority with Double-A Erie, where he logged 88 games. He slashed .264/.393/.426 with 20 doubles, a triple, and nine home runs.

During his time at the Triple-A level, the right-handed hitter logged 46 games, slashing .302/.388/.453 with 13 doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He drove in 24 runs and started to settle in nicely with the Triple-A affiliate.

He's got the capability of playing second or third base. Since he is on the 40-man roster, I like his odds to make his big league debut over Malloy as of right now. Any trades or roster moves to put Malloy on the 40-man roster could change this.

So as Spring ball inches closer when the calendar flips to 2023, expect Lipcius to be fighting to prove he's worth a big league debut or at least worth a look.