Tigers have insurance plan if Austin Slater opts out after AJ Hinch comments

The Detroit Tigers didn’t just trim their roster this week — they quietly revealed a contingency plan.

When manager A.J. Hinch spoke Wednesday about the club’s latest round of cuts, the headline was straightforward: five players reassigned, camp down to 40, Opening Day looming. But buried in those decisions — and in Hinch’s comments — was something more telling about how the Tigers are thinking.

They’re preparing for Austin Slater to walk. And if he does, Corey Julks is waiting.

“If he wants the at-bats in the big leagues, we have at-bats for him,” Hinch said (via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press).

Slater’s situation is the ticking clock here. As a veteran on a minor-league deal with an opt-out looming just five days before Opening Day, the pressure point is obvious. If he triggers it — and all signs suggest he will — the Tigers will have 48 hours to make a decision: add him to the 40-man roster and carry him on the Opening Day roster, or lose him.

That’s not a small decision. Slater is a known commodity — a right-handed bat with a track record against left-handed pitching and nearly a decade of big-league experience. But he also comes with roster rigidity. No minor-league options means no flexibility. If he’s in, he’s in.

That’s where Julks changes the equation. By reassigning him to Triple-A Toledo — rather than cutting him loose or burying him in the depth chart — the Tigers effectively positioned Julks as their first call-up. And unlike Slater, he offers flexibility without sacrificing much in role-specific value.

Corey Julks is Tigers' logical contingency plan if Austin Slater triggers his opt-out

Julks has done everything you’d want this spring. A .333 average, three home runs, and just three strikeouts in 16 games isn’t just productive — it’s controlled, intentional offense. More importantly, it aligns perfectly with what the Tigers would be asking him to do: hit left-handed pitching and provide outfield depth.

Because that’s the real overlap here. Both Slater and Julks profile as right-handed platoon bats who can punish lefties. The difference is cost — not just financially, but structurally.

Julks gives Detroit optionality. He can ride the Toledo shuttle. He can be deployed situationally. He can step in if someone like Matt Vierling or Jahmai Jones goes down without forcing a permanent roster decision. Slater doesn’t offer that luxury.

And Hinch’s comments hinted at that balance. Giving Julks the choice of where to get at-bats was more than a courtesy. It was a signal that the Tigers value him. They want him ready. And they see him as part of this team’s equation sooner rather than later.

Now, the Tigers don’t have to rush into a decision on Slater out of fear of losing depth — because they’ve already built that depth. Julks is a viable alternative who fits the same role with fewer constraints.

So if Slater opts out, the Tigers won’t be scrambling. They'll merely be pivoting. And in a season where every roster spot matters, having that kind of insurance plan might be the difference between reacting to adversity and staying ahead of it.