Tigers insider all but officially reveals Spencer Torkelson's fate for 2025

Spencer Torkelson was supposed to be the Detroit Tigers' capital-G Guy. He was the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, and his signing was heralded as a massive win. Along with Casey Mize and Riley Greene, taken the two years prior, the belief was that the Tigers would be able to truly build a core with star potential.

In 2023, he did look like he could fully realize his potential in Detroit. He'd had a bit of a bum year as a rookie in 2022 over 110 games, but in 2023 he hit 31 homers and drove in almost 100 runs.

Although his average wasn't exactly ideal, he looked like he could provide the power the Tigers lineup needed and truly earn his place as their first baseman of the future.

But we all know how 2024 went. There was the demotion, of course, in early June, which set eagle eyes on him as soon as the Tigers brought him back from exile. Through 38 games in August and September, he batted .248 with a .781 OPS to look a lot more like the player he was last year — but was it enough for the Tigers to keep the experiment going?

Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press thinks the answer is "no," and he further elaborated by writing "all signs point to the Tigers moving on from Torkelson" (subscription required).

Tigers insider thinks Spencer Torkelson's time with Tigers is coming to an end

In his roster grades, Petzold also gave Torkelson a C-, which sounds about right, but definitely isn't acceptable for a former first overall pick who was projected to be a linchpin of the Tigers' roster for years to come.

When Torkelson was brought back up to the majors, AJ Hinch said that he hoped his player wasn't feeling the pressure so deeply, and that he could take each at-bat without feeling like he had to be the guy.

Isn't that already the case, though? There was so much hype around Torkelson before he even got to the majors; on some level, that's a little unfair, but it just comes with the territory.

The Tigers could broaden their scope for prospective free agent targets to first base if they make a definitive call on Torkelson's future. Even if they don't want to put an end to his time in Detroit quite yet, he has one remaining minor league option that they could always exercise.

If not, trade him away for relievers or prospects. There may be potential there he has yet to fully unlock, but right now the Tigers need a big upgrade if they want to take their momentum for this season past the ALDS next year.