Tigers signing Austin Slater may cost these players their 2026 roster spot

The Tigers haven't added a bat this offseason, as many fans hoped that they would, but their pitching additions over the last few weeks have redeemed their offseason. First Framber Valdez, then Justin Verlander — a move to send a message to the rest of baseball that the Tigers are going for it this year, and a move to bring a future Hall of Famer back to the place where it all started.

Any offensive moves, though, have been tiny. Aside from Gleyber Torres accepting the qualifying offer, which doesn't really qualify as a "move," they've only doled out a handful of minor-league deals to the likes of Tomás Nido, Corey Julks and, as of Tuesday afternoon, Austin Slater. Per Jon Heyman, he signed a MiLB deal worth $2 million if he gets to the majors and has $500,000 in incentives.

Slater spent 2025 between the White Sox and Yankees, and he had an absolutely terrible go of things in the Bronx, batting .120 with a .240 OPS, -32 OPS+, 16 strikeouts and zero walks in 25 plate appearances.

That's not a lot — or anything, really — for fans to get excited about, but he's getting an invitation to spring training, and there are a couple of Tigers who might want to watch their backs if Slater figures it out.

Tigers sign Yankees bust Austin Slater to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training

Jahmai Jones immediately comes to mind. Even though he became an instant fan favorite last year, the Tigers still aren't sold on him given his poor outfield defense, and Slater has decent lifetime numbers against lefties (.787 OPS). He hasn't gotten more than semi-regular playing time since 2022, but he was a well above-average defensive outfielder that year.

Matt Vierling is a darling of the Tigers' front office, but he only managed to play in 31 games last year between long stints on the IL. He still has a minor league option remaining, so he could be easy to swap out with Slater for a spell if he can't get back into the groove of things.

In reality, Slater looks like an obvious Ryan Kreidler replacement. He's a guy who the Tigers could plausibly slot into multiple positions in the event on a injury, which is how Kreidler made the Opening Day roster last year when the rest of Detroit's outfield depth was decimated ahead of or during spring training. There's far from an immediate worry for Jones, Vierling, or anyone else, but he could be interesting to watch as the season develops.