Detroit Tigers: 3 players who could sneak onto the 40-man roster by Opening Day

INF/OF Justyn-Henry Malloy

This is probably the most obvious pick here. Malloy is likely almost guaranteed a spot on the 40-man. The 26-man is a question for another day.

The bat sounds like it's going to play. His plate discipline is off the charts and he has great bat-to-ball skills. The question is where he plays in the field.

Third base did not go well for him in the Braves' system in 2022. He had 17 errors in 51 games at third base in High-A, and word on the street is that he didn't look very good in the outfield either. There's a chance he's a 1B/DH type.

It does sound like he's been working on his defense this offseason, which is encouraging to hear. Even if he becomes an average defender at either third base or the outfield we can call that a win, especially if his bat is as advertised.

I think Malloy is slated to have a good spring offensively. That should be enough to get him a spot on the 40-man roster. Whether or not his defense shows any sign of improvement will be the key to him heading north with the big league club.