There's only one answer to Tigers' roster shuffle when James Outman returns

When James Outman pinch-hit for Corey Julks in the bottom of the seventh last Wednesday, he was immediately met with a fastball to the face. He stayed in the game but was moved to the IL with a concussion the next day.

Trei Cruz was called up to replace him, only to be DFA'ed without getting an at-bat a few days later, which paved the way for Brett Callahan. Callahan was mired in a slump in Triple-A when he was promoted, but it ended as soon as he got to the big leagues.

Outman has progressed quickly from his concussion and began a rehab assignment on Thursday. It's unlikely he spends too long down there given how little time he had to miss.

When he does come back, the Tigers might be tempted to option Callahan back to the minors. It would be the cleanest solution, and they seem to like Outman (and fellow veteran outfielder Corey Julks) for his defense.

But if you were to ask the fans, that would be the wrong call. When Outman comes back, the only real solution is to DFA him.

Tigers should DFA James Outman instead of option Brett Callahan in impending roster shuffle

Since coming to Detroit off a waiver claim from the Twins, Outman has hit .183 with a .606 OPS. He's struck out 42 times in 93 at-bats, good for a 45% strikeout rate. His defense and speed are both still decent, but that's not a strong enough argument to keep him around when Callahan is still swinging a hot bat.

Apart from the recent slide, the Tigers offense we've been seeing as of late has been remarkably consistent. It's also a tantalizing preview into the core that'll be in place for years to come. With Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Hao-Yu Lee, and even Eduardo Valencia and Callahan who are newer to the scene, the Tigers have a lot to look forward to no matter how this season plays out.

The Tigers shouldn't stifle any of those players' major league development to keep a below-.200 hitter who can maybe, kind of, sort of offer decent defense in the outfield.

The only other option that might be acceptable here is DFA'ing Julks, who's barely been utilized since he was called up to replace Greene on the roster. Either way, the Tigers should keep the rookies exactly where they are.

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