Tigers' surprise top prospect promotion signals certain demise for this veteran

On Sunday night, Emily Waldon of Baseball America reported the Tigers were planning to call up No. 20 prospect John Peck after suffering a series loss to the Dodgers.

Peck, taken in the seventh round of the 2023 draft — the same one that produced Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, Andrew Sears, and Brett Callahan — is an infielder who's spent the majority of his minor league career at shortstop.

He was promoted to Triple-A Toledo in late June, but played in just two games before going onto the IL. He didn't make it back to the Mud Hens until Aug. 25, after a rehab assignment, but he needed just four more games for the Tigers to give him the call.

Is it too soon? Maybe. Will it hurt the Tigers to give him an audition when they're already 10 games under .500? Probably not.

Tigers fans can already guess the roster move when the team does make it official. Corey Julks, who has gotten all of seven at-bats in four games since being called up over two weeks ago, is almost certainly on hiw way out of the organization.

Tigers reportedly calling up No. 20 prospect John Peck as postseason hopes dim

Perhaps the most pressing question to follow this promotion: if the Tigers were set on bringing up an infield prospect, why not Max Anderson, who is not only higher-ranked but has spent far more time at Triple-A and has been batting over .300 since late June?

Passing over him could indicate that the Tigers could use him as trade bait this winter and don't want to risk tanking his value by bringing him up to the majors. Otherwise, it's certainly hard to understand why the front office doesn't seem as keen on him.

By promoting Peck now, just one day before rosters expand, the Tigers will, in effect, make Riley Greene their 27th or 28th man. He's on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Toledo and has struggled through his first two games, going 1-for-6 with two walks. He's set to take left field for the Mud Hens again on Monday before the team reevaluates.

Julks could go unclaimed on waivers and return to the Tigers organization — it's already happened with more high-profile bats than his (albeit more expensive ones) — but it's clear that he's the weakest link in Detroit's developing offense, and in a roster as young as theirs, it's out with the old.

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