Detroit Tigers: 5 roster battles to watch in spring training

Spring training has begun. Here are some position battles to watch for the Detroit Tigers.

Some pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training. The Detroit Tigers are beginning preliminary workouts down in Lakeland. It is a sight to behold.

With that, the attention now turns from the offseason to the preseason. It's time to figure out who will be starting for the Detroit Tigers in 2023.

There are a ton of positions that are unsettled at the moment. There are numerous players that will be battling it out for the chance to head north with the team when spring training comes to a close.

Some of these positions have some serious logjams. These things usually sort themselves out, whether it be due to injuries or performance. But you can't really plan for that stuff. For now, we can only guess.

Today, we're going to look at five roster battles to watch for the Detroit Tigers during spring training. We've got a lot to talk about, so let's get started.

1. Third base

The most obvious one. There will be at least six players that will be vying to be the Opening Day third baseman for the Detroit Tigers this season. Scott Harris didn't bring in a major league-caliber third baseman this offseason, so the Tigers are stuck with what they have internally.

I went through a list of players that could win the job last month, and most of that still rings true. Like I said in that piece, the Tigers likely won't have an everyday third baseman this season. A.J. Hinch will probably move some guys around.

Guys like Ryan Kreidler, Nick Maton, Andre Lipcius, and even Jonathan Schoop are all slated to compete for the third base job this spring. But there is one name I didn't name who sounds like may have a better shot to win the job than I originally thought, and that's Andy Ibanez.

Ibanez was claimed off waivers from Texas back in November. He was the Rangers' Opening Day third baseman last season, but that was thanks in large part to an injury to top prospect Josh Jung.

Ibanez is 29 and has hit decently at every level of the minors. He doesn't walk a ton and doesn't hit for much power, but he makes contact and doesn't strike out a lot. Even if he doesn't win the third base job, I think there's a good chance he makes the roster as a utility guy.

Who will step up and take the third base job? We'll just have to wait and see as the spring unfolds.

2. Bullpen

There are many spots up for grabs in the Detroit Tigers bullpen this season. With the departures of Andrew Chafin, Joe Jimenez, and Gregory Soto, there's at least three open spots. The Tigers bullpen probably won't be as good as it was last season, but it could still be decent.

One name to watch is somebody I highlighted recently, and that's RHP Trey Wingenter. The former Padre has nasty stuff, but hasn't been able to stay healthy the past few years. This may be his last chance to prove that he's healthy and can still hang in the big leagues. Look for him to be extra motivated.

The left-handed reliever role will be an interesting battle as well. Other than Tyler Alexander, the Tigers don't have a designed lefty in the bullpen for the 2023 season. Look for minor league signee Chasen Shreve, prospect Adam Wolf and trade acquisition Jake Higginbotham (Joe Jimenez trade) to compete for that spot.

The rest of the bullpen features names like Brendan White, Rule 5 pick Mason Englert, and some minor league signees duking it out for a spot. There are still some familiar names like Alex Lange, Jose Cisnero, and Jason Foley that are all but guarenteed spots.

There's also the closer's role that's up for grabs, but I think A.J. Huch will go with a closer-by-committee, at least to start the season. Nobody on the team currently has experience as a closer, so Hinch will probably play the ninth inning based on matchups and thinks like that.

The bullpen battles should be fun to watch. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.

3. Corner outfielder

Riley Greene will man center field and Austin Meadows will take a corner, probably left field for the Tigers in 2023. But who's going to play right field? That's still very much up in the air at the moment.

It's worth noting that whoever ends up losing the starting job probably makes the team as the fourth outfielder, and there will probably a cast characters playing the outfield for the Tigers this season. But we still don't know who will start on Opening Day.

The three main contestants will likely be Akil Baddoo, Kerry Carpenter, and trade acquistion Matt Vierling. For Baddoo, this is a huge spring for him. He needs to get back on track after a horrible 2022. If he flounders again, his time as a big leaguer may be up.

Carpenter's concerns come defensively. He hasn't looked very good in the minors or in the majors in the outfield. But if he keeps hitting, it's going to be hard to keep him off the roster. He might have to split time at DH with Miguel Cabrera.

Then there's Vierling. Acquired in the Gregory Soto trade, Vierling is a very good athlete who has a lot of potential. Personally, I want to see a dead sprint battle between him and Baddoo if the battle is too close to call toward the end of spring. Whoever's the fastest wins the job.

All jokes aside, a platoon in that last corner outfield spot is very possible. The right-handed hitting Vierling crushes lefties, and Carpenter and Baddoo both hit righties pretty well. At the end of the day, I think all three of these guys make the roster. The question is what role they play.

4. Backup catcher

It sounds like Eric Haase is finally going to get his chance to be the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers in 2023, and he's earned it. He proved that the 2021 season wasn't a fluke after a slow start last year.

But what we won't know is who will back him up. The obvious pick here would be Jake Rogers, but he's coming off Tommy John surgery and the Tigers might want to give him some at-bats in Toledo to start the year. That leaves us with a few options.

The first is Donny Sands, who was also acquired in the Gregory Soto trade. He's 26 years old and has hit well at every level of the minors. He's a real option.

The next is Marco Feliciano, who was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee. He's a bit younger at 24 and has a bit more upside. Then there's Michael Papierski, who was actually Scott Harris' first waiver claim as the Tigers president of baseball operations. He was claimed from Cincinnati back in November. He's also 26 and has shown good plate discipline in the minors.

A dark horse here who be prospect Dillon Dingler, but I wouldn't count on that. He was invited to spring training, but he would need a massive spring to crack the big league team. This is a pretty big year for him.

There's also the possibility the Tigers carry three catchers again like they did last season, but I just don't see how they can do that. They have a ton of utility guys that will probably get some playing time. Why waste a spot on a third catcher that probably won't play a lot?

If I had to choose between anybody not named Jake Rogers to win the backup job, it would probably be Sands. I think Harris acquired him for a reason. He's going to get playing time in Detroit this year, and it might be sooner than you think.