First wave of Detroit Tigers roster cuts may preview a future roster crunch

The Tigers announced on Friday their first cuts of spring training, as several of the names should come to no surprise, based on the comments from manager A.J. Hinch said early in camp on Jackson Jobe and Ty Madden.

White, who has not pitched yet due to right elbow soreness, has been recently cleared for all baseball activities and could see sometime in spring training over the next few weeks. This has given a chance to see what the Tigers have as far as bullpen depth goes with Miguel Diaz, Wilmer Flores, and Alex Faedo getting some innings this week.

Speaking of Faedo, he made some heads turn with an impressive clean inning of work last night against the Blue Jays. He struck out four in two innings of work, getting eight swings and misses. While the level of competition may not have been against regular major-leaguers, it is worth noting his stuff, according to Baseball Savant, continues to be a regular highlight.

His numbers on the spring so far: 6IP 10K 0BB 2ER 5H 2.44 FIP. As Evan Woodbery of Mlive.com pointed out in his article earlier today, his ability to be a hybrid arm between Detroit and Toledo is something to keep an eye out for.

A potential Detroit Tigers roster crunch to consider

With Madden heading down to minor league camp, it spurred a discussion with Chris Brown of Tigers Minor League Report, and he brought up the 40-man roster for next season. Madden, along with Hurter, Tyler Mattison, Dylan Smith, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Justice Bigbie, RJ Petit, Tanner Kohlhepp, and Roberto Campos, are all Rule 5 eligible.

Now add Jace Jung, who hit a home run last night, and Jackson Jobe; they could see the 40-man roster at some point this season. These players could potentially play a significant role on the Tigers' roster in 2025 as the team looks to build a competitive lineup. With their eligibility for the Rule 5 draft, the Tigers will have to make tough decisions on who to protect by adding them to the 40-man roster.

This creates a dynamic where no spot is truly safe as the organization evaluates its talent and strategizes for the future. The performance of these players in the upcoming season will be crucial in determining their place in the team's long-term plans. For the first time in quite some time, the Tigers have options internally to work with that are not all four A players types.

Detroit could take two possible options. First, trade prospects for upgrades to the lineup. Second, take the route of the Cleveland Guardians, who have historically focused on promoting talent from within and making minor signings to bolster their roster. This approach has allowed the Guardians to maintain a competitive team while developing their prospects and keeping costs down. While that is a business model that Tigers fans do not want to hear about, it could be one Detroit could consider with the depth that seems to be coming.

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