Tigers' roster ripple effects if Kevin McGonigle joins Opening Day squad in 2026

No. 1 Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle has survived six rounds of spring training cuts. With less than two weeks to go before the Tigers hit the road to start their season on the west coast, whether or not he'll be going with them is still the biggest question of spring training.

The 40-man roster is full, and with the Tigers' offense completely unchanged during the offseason, a player who might've thought he was guaranteed a roster spot will find himself in Triple-A.

Looking at the 40-man, a pitcher would be the easiest first cut. Relievers Beau Brieske and Bailey Horn appear to be the most vulnerable. Brieske has only made two appearances in spring training so far (1 1/3 innings) and has given up two runs while dealing with ribcage soreness. Horn hasn't pitched at all after undergoing an elbow arthroscopy.

Of active roster options, Trey Sweeney and Parker Meadows should probably be watching their backs. Sweeney hasn't played in a spring game so far after being shut down with a shoulder issue in late February. Meadows is hitting .111 with a .348 OPS. Both still have minor league options.

Who gets bumped off the Tigers' roster if Kevin McGonigle forces their hand?

A McGonigle-Sweeney swap would be cleaner: an infielder for an infielder. Sweeney isn't well-loved by Tigers fans after batting .196 with a .548 OPS in 118 games in Detroit last year. The Tigers refused to option him to Triple-A until late June, only to bring him back up and send him back down a couple more times.

But Meadows might make more sense in the grand scheme of things. If he goes to Toledo, that clears a starting spot in center field for Javy Báez, who has looked great there in spring training. Meadows could always be relegated to a bench role, or the Tigers could platoon him and Báez in center, but Meadows looks like he desperately needs the reset that sparked his late-season bounce back in 2024.

Tigers camp is down to 45 players. Both McGonigle and fellow top prospect Max Anderson are still there, and although the Tigers could end up favoring Anderson, who has a little over 30 Triple-A games under his belt, they'd still have to clear both a 40- and 26-man spot for him.

This might end up being a last-minute decision for Detroit, but they're sending Tigers' fans hopes through the roof.