Tigers could get last resort backup plan if Cubs return Rule 5 Draft pick to Detroit

Since he departed the Detroit Tigers for the Chicago Cubs, Gage Workman has done nothing but cause problems for his new team – in a good way.

So far this spring, Workman leads the Cubs in home runs, is tied for the lead in RBI, and is slashing .385/.433/.769 over 26 at-bats. He has also proven to be very effective defensively at third base.

So what's the problem, you ask? Well, the Cubs selected Workman from Detroit in the Rule 5 Draft, which means they have to put him on their Opening Day roster if they want to keep him. Otherwise, they have to offer him back to the Tigers – and it’s hard to believe they won’t want him back, especially with the injury to Matt Vierling testing their depth at third base.

Could Tigers get Gage Workman back from the Cubs this offseason?

Workman has had a great spring with the Cubs, but he has never played game above Double-A. Naturally, that would give any team pause before adding him to their Major League roster. There are, however, some additional factors at play here.

First, the Cubs are opening their season against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series, in which teams are allowed three additional spots on their active roster. If the Cubs give one of those spots to Workman, it won't be a permanent fix, but it would at least buy them 10 extra days to make a final decision on whether they want to keep him around.

Additionally, the Cubs already have some injured players in Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw, and additional injuries are always a possibility. Depending on the injured players' return timelines, there could be more incentive for the Cubs to hang onto Workman in the meantime.

Regardless, keeping Workman would take some blind faith and some serious roster gymnastics by the Cubs. Even if they really like him as a prospect, there is a very realistic scenario in which they won't be able to keep him around.

Workman has done just about everything he can to earn a spot on Chicago's Opening Day roster, but there is only so much he can do to prove himself. Now, it's up to the Cubs to determine whether they want to take a leap of faith and commit to a prospect who hasn't played a single game above Double-A. If they don't, the Tigers could be fortunate enough to get him back and might be inclined to throw him into the third base mix early on in 2025 if their injury situation doesn't improve.

More Tigers content from Motor City Bengals