Detroit Tigers players with minor-league options on the 40-man roster

Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers have their first full workout on Valentine's Day, and the rest of the crew will report the following Monday, assembling their full 40-man roster and 18 non-roster invitees in Lakeland ahead of the team's first spring training game against the Yankees on Feb. 22. Riley Greene will be back from injury, Kenta Maeda will throw his first pitches as a Tiger, Colt Keith will look to make a splash ahead of his major league debut. It's an exciting time to be a Tigers fan.

Nearly 30 players on the Tigers' 40-man still have minor league options, reflecting that the fact that despite some veteran additions this offseason, Detroit still has a very young team on their hands. The 40-man will need to be a 26-man by Opening Day, so with 58 potential options trying to compete for spots come late March, there could be some surprises out of spring camp.

Minor league options allow a player to be sent back to the minors without having to go through waivers and possibly being claimed by another team. There are more than a few names on this list that are locks, but even more who aren't.

Detroit Tigers players with minor-league options on the 40-man roster

Which Detroit Tigers players have 3 minor-league options remaining?

• Beau Brieske, RHP
• Mason Englert, RHP
• Sawyer Gipson-Long, RHP
• Alex Lange, RHP
• Casey Mize, RHP
• Keider Montero, RHP
• Dillon Dingler, C
• Colt Keith, INF
• Kerry Carpenter, OF/DH
• Riley Greene, OF

Mize, Keith, Carpenter, and Greene should all feel confident that they'll be in the majors by Opening Day. Keith was granted an eight-year extension before his major league debut, and Carpenter and Greene have been names Scott Harris has thrown around a lot as being huge pieces of the Tigers' puzzle in 2024. Mize will be coming back after not throwing a pitch in 2023 after Tommy John, and expectations are high for his return.

Gipson-Long has been a frequent presence on Tigers' social media this offseason. After being called up in September, he pitched 20 innings and looked good doing it; he finished the season with a 2.70 ERA. The Tigers' bullpen is still a little thin, so it seems likely that they'll bring Gipson-Long back to give him more time at the major league level.

There might not be a place for Dingler, the Tigers' No. 11 prospect, this year, but there certainly could be next year. Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly are expected to form a platoon behind home plate, but Kelly only has a year left on his contract. If Dingler can show up in spring training, he could be first in line for the backup spot next year.

Which Detroit Tigers players have 2 minor-league options remaining?

• Jason Foley, RHP
• Tyler Holton, LHP
• Kolton Ingram, LHP
• Matt Manning, RHP
• Reese Olson, RHP
• Tarik Skubal, LHP
• Will Vest, RHP
• Brendan White, RHP
• Ryan Kreidler, INF
• Andre Lipcius, INF
• Wenceel Pérez, INF
• Spencer Torkelson, INF
• Akil Baddoo, OF
• Parker Meadows, OF

Of this crop, Manning, Olson, Skubal, Torkelson, and Meadows all seem like roster locks. The first three are expected to fill out a six-man rotation along with Maeda, Jack Flaherty, and Mize. Torkelson is Detroit's everyday first baseman, and the team is looking forward to seeing what Meadows can do in the outfield after a few major league starts last year. Holton also had an incredible 2023 season, pitching 85 innings for a 2.11 ERA. He's one of only a few left-handed pitchers in Detroit's bullpen, so the Tigers need him.

Baddoo is a mystery. He hasn't been great since he made his debut with the club in 2021, but the front office does still believe in him. It seems that his fate is hanging in the balance depending on his spring training performance.

Which Detroit Tigers players have 1 minor-league option remaining?

• Alex Faedo, RHP
• Jake Rogers, C
• Andy Ibáñez, INF
• Eddys Leonard, INF
• Matt Vierling, UTIL

Vierling, Ibáñez, and Rogers are all likely to be safe as well. Vierling and Ibáñez will spend a lot of time at third base alongside Zach McKinstry (who has no minor league options left), and Rogers will be the Tigers' primary catcher. Faedo's future is more suspect. He's been a starter over his last two years with Detroit, but the rotation seems full up this year and Faedo has struggled while never pitching more than 65 innings.

Also notable but not on any of these lists is Joey Wentz, who is without minor league options and may not have a future with the team for much longer. He was also mostly a starter for the Tigers last year and pitched over 100 innings, but he had a 6.90 ERA. He'll need to come up big to earn a bullpen spot and avoid a DFA before the season starts.