Tigers non-tender deadline features uncomfortable situation for Detroit

Although it seems as though fans shouldn't expect any crazy additions to the roster this offseason, the Tigers' 40-man roster is currently full, and they're going to need to clear up a few spots for any possible free agent signings.

The easiest way to do that would be to non-tender a player or two, which would immediately remove them from the 40-man roster and send them into free agency. All arbitration-eligible players are vulnerable to being non-tendered, and teams can choose to axe guys for any number of reasons: sometimes it's performance, sometimes the team just doesn't want to pay for rising salaries.

The Tigers have nine arb-eligible players this offseason, including Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Zach McKinstry, Jake Rogers, and Jason Foley. As a team that's enamored with their young, affordable players, there's a chance they might let the deadline pass without fanfare and keep the roster intact as it is. However, there is one Tiger who's seemed vulnerable to an unceremonious dumping.

When is MLB's non-tender deadline? Everything fans need to know

The non-tender deadline is Friday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. ET, and the name to watch out for is Casey Mize.

There have been signs that the Tigers might be ready to part ways with Mize. They seemingly intentionally delayed his return to the majors after a hamstring strain in July by moving him from the 15-day IL to the 60-day, despite the fact that he said he felt ready to return. He was on the Wild Card roster but didn't pitch, and he was left off of the ALDS roster altogether.

Last year, Mize and the Tigers went into an arbitration hearing over just $25,000, and they came away with an agreement: they met in the middle for an $830,000 salary in 2024 and attached a $3.1 million club option for 2025, which the Tigers declined a few weeks ago.

Clearly, the Tigers don't like to give up on their homegrown players, especially not former first-round draft picks, but there's reason to suspect that Mize won't be sticking around in Detroit for much longer. Non-tenders are brutal, and dumping Mize would send him out into free agency with a rough market, but the Tigers need to clear some space and they need to make some upgrades to the rotation, so Mize could be the unfortunate sacrifice they have to make.