The Tigers announced a landslide of roster moves Wednesday as they set their Opening Day roster. Most notable among them is the formal selection of top prospect Spencer Torkelson’s contract. It was already known that Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2020 draft and a consensus top-five prospect in all of baseball, would make the Opening Day roster, but his promotion to the big leagues is now official.
Detroit also selected the contracts of right-handers Drew Hutchison, Jacob Barnes and Will Vest. In a series of corresponding 40-man roster moves, Detroit designated left-hander Miguel Del Pozo for assignment and placed catcher Jake Rogers (recovering from Tommy John surgery), Spencer Turnbull (recovering from Tommy John surgery) and Jose Cisnero (strained right shoulder) on the 60-day injured list.
The Tigers also announced an additional series of placements on the 10-day injured list: lefty Andrew Chafin (groin strain), outfielder Derek Hill (hamstring strain) and righty Kyle Funkhouser (shoulder strain) are all beginning the season on the 10-day IL. Top outfield prospect Riley Greene is being placed on the minor league injured list after fracturing his foot late in Spring Training. The Tigers also announced that righty Elvin Rodriguez made the roster over infielder Willi Castro, and the team has assigned veteran right-handers Chase Anderson (Triple-A) and Wily Peralta (Class-A Advanced) to minor league affiliates to begin the year.
None of Hutchison, Vest or Barnes has an extensive track record of big league success, but they’ve all logged MLB action in the past and will give Detroit some bullpen depth early in the season, particularly while Cisnero sits out at least the first two months of the season mending a shoulder injury. That absence is perhaps the most surprising revelation in today’s sequence of moves. Cisnero was behind schedule to start camp and felt some discomfort in his most recent outing, but prior to today’s announcement there was no indication he’d require such a lengthy absence. It’s a notable loss for the Tigers, given the 32-year-old’s 3.45 ERA, 24 holds and four saves over the past two seasons.
Chafin, who signed a two-year, $13MM contract with an opt-out after the 2022 season will hope for a minimal absence. There’s been no indication from the club that he’s expected to require a long stay on the IL, but he’s been trending toward a 10-day placement since originally experiencing pain at the end of March. Hill has also been ailing since the final day of March, so his move to the IL doesn’t rate as much of a surprise.
As for the 29-year-old Del Pozo, he lasted the offseason on Detroit’s 40-man roster after allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks with four punchouts during a brief Detroit debut late in the 2021 campaign. He’s allowed a total of 20 runs in 18 1/3 Major League innings, however, and didn’t help his cause this spring when he appeared in two games and was tagged for a combined five runs in just one inning of work. Detroit will have a week to trade him or try to pass him through outright waivers.
Veterans Anderson and Peralta will give the Tigers some pitching depth in the minors to begin the season. Anderson joined the club on a minor league deal in mid-March and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in five innings during camp. He’s struggled substantially in the Majors across the past two seasons but from 2014-19 was a solid back-of-the-rotation arm, logging a combined 3.94 ERA in 857 innings between the D-backs and Brewers.
Peralta seems even likelier to be added to the big league roster, despite his assignment to a Class-A affiliate. The right-hander had a strong showing in Detroit last year after signing a minor league pact, pitching to a 3.07 ERA across 18 appearances (17 starts) — a total of 93 2/3 innings. But Peralta was slow to get to camp, owing to visa issues, and he’ll remain at the Tigers’ Lakeland facility, where their High-A team plays, as he builds up toward game readiness. Peralta didn’t make it to Tigers camp until this past weekend and didn’t have time to get into an official spring game, but once he’s built up he’ll be an option to join the club’s rotation or pitch in a long-relief role.
That’s a shame about Funkhouser’s injury. He really seemed to be starting to establish himself.
Yeah Larry David can’t believe Funkhousers luck either.
Tigers will be a surprise playoff team this season. Their young SP’s are solid, they have a decent pen, and they have a nice mix of hitting and fielding.
I don’t think the Tigers making the playoffs will be a surprise. They played over .500 ball the last 4.5 months of last season, made some big signings this off season, and are graduating two top-5 prospects.
It would be a surprise if they didn’t make the playoffs.
Very balanced division. Minny won’t have everything go wrong again; gotta love what’s going on in KC (they’ve got BAWL-PLAYAS like Lopez. Whitt, Witt, Grienke, etc.); Tigers are definitely coming, and I wouldn’t bury the Guardians just yet. ChiSox are still the class, but vulnerable.
Good teams, entertaining teams, no tankers…. fun division.
I agree Saint. It’s a week division outside of the White Sox. I imagine the Tigers could make a run for the wild card. Too bad Riley Greene got hurt I’m guessing he would’ve made the opening day roster as well. Good to see the Tigers going for it after years of meh.
@ FredMcGriff for the HOF;
I think you overestimate the way the White Sox play baseball on the field; underestimate the way KC, Detroit, and Cleveland plays ball along with the fact that they have an abundance of young players – some of whom will wash out, but many of which will propel those teams; and like many have turned a blind eye to the fact that the Twins have been going circles for years.
Meadows hit 27 homers last year 24 against RHP and the Central is loaded with RHP. Riley will come back for the playoff run and will not suffer the rookie funk because he’s not starting until June. Torkelson will give Bobby Whitt Jr a run for his money in the ROY race!
Tigers won’t finish better than the White Sox, Indians, or Twins…. Bottom 6 AL team again this year
I’ll take that bet
I guarantee you they win more games than the Indians in 2022
@jdgoat When I read your post, I heard Jerry Lundegaard.
CWS no, Cleveland hell yes, MInn very good shot, KC hell yes….Tigers got way better than Cleveland & Kc by far margin, Minn got better but Tigers pitching is superior. The battle is Detroit & Minn for second, Cleveland is 4th, KC last
I’m on the Tigers wagon. I think this is the year they take a real step forward. Of course the youngsters will have some ups and downs, but most of the pitchers have had enough MLB experience to take that leap forward.
Detroit a dark horse postseason candidate? Haven’t heard that at all the past month
I like the Tigers core but if those players that they selected today are signs of their depth, they might be in trouble. It’s not even like they had good springs to earn those roster spots.
Goat, it is more complicated that than. There are guys in the minors who aren’t yet on the 40-man roster but might be better than some guys who are. Why rush them just to have to DFA somebody and then send the youngster back to AAA when rosters shrink? The other side of the story is that some need regular playing time to develop and that will be far easier to get in the minors. Be patient, grasshopper, the Tigers’ time is coming even if it might not be 2022.
Ya the injuries certainly complicate the matter for sure. I just find it hard to believe they wouldn’t have better alternatives already on the 40 man roster.
While those you refer didn’t have good springs they are on the team for two reasons. The BP depth is on IL. That and the expanded rosters are the only reason some of these BP arms are beginning the season with this team. Pineda was to be reportedly already throwing which pushes Alexander back to BP. Funkhouser/Chafin seem to be on the way back, that shoves the likes of Vest out. If Peralta can ramp up pretty quickly you have a different looking BP 2-3 weeks into the season. The big injuries here are Greene and Cisnero. The rest the tigers just have to weather for a couple of weeks.
I would never give Will Vest a contract with certain options in it.
Vesting options?
…because you know they will vest!
Funkhouser has this crazy sister. Not sure if y’all knew that! I mean it! Shes nuts!
Yep. Bam Bam Funkhouser is a nut job!
So, Pineda is ready to go then?? No mention of him. Which surprises me, lol.
4.97 ERA Drew Hutchison???
If Peralta has been assigned to Lakeland, FL (which would make sense, he could stay at their facilities), he will be at the Tigers’ Low-A affiliate. Their High-A team is the West Michigan Whitecaps in Grand Rapids, MI.
Cisnero’s injury being that serious is a bad surprise indeed. Hopefully he won’t need surgery.
Gruß,
BSHH
Peralta was assigned to Lakeland because he literally just got to camp 2 days ago due to visa issues. So he is going to go through workouts first before being assigned to an actual team. So he is not actually assigned to the Flying Tigers.. When he does get assigned, he’ll go to Toledo.
Pineda had a similar issue though has been in camp longer. He actually got assigned to AAA on Tuesday. The target date for Pineda to join the rotation is April 22nd.
Tigers will be fun to watch this year. I think they have legit Wild Card chances.
Mmmm, boy, I surely do hope that you are right! Tired of watching the playoffs on TV with no vested interest.
I’m curious why Wily Peralta was sent down, did he have a bad Spring?
He hardly pitched this year due to coming in late with Visa issues.
Ready to make a run !
Kind of surprising that Cisnero was put on 60 day IL. His shoulder must be a lot worse than anticipated.
Not surprised by the other moves especially with 3 bullpen arms going on the IL. And no surprise Castro going to Toledo, he was kind of the odd man out with the way the roster has come together.
Still, not terribly bullish on the Tigers this year. Feel they played a bit over their head last year. With a lot of younger players on the roster, they often do struggle and if/when they do, the Tigers will struggle to match last year’s win total. Still expect a fun team to watch.
They should fine the batting coach $1,000 each time a player hits a 400ft+ fly ball to CF for an out.
Lots of thick thighed power hitters. Hopefully, they look for the gap and/or the line. Why has no one discovered the Al Kaline corner?
As a life long Tigers fan I’m going to keep my expectations modest. There are 2 more playoff spots to grab so they might sneak in there.
AJ Hinch…and Alex Cora are the 2 best managers in the AL if not all MLB. Hinch will have the Tigers in it if they stay relatively healthy.
It would be nice to see them relevant in September. Be in the hunt until the end. That’s my expectation. Anything over that will be a bonus.
1) Terry Francona. 2) Craig Counsell. 3) Kevin Cash.
Hinch and Cora are up there though.
Craig Counsell? Did you see how he managed his bullpen in the playoffs? Almost a fireable, what he did.
I’ll give you Francona but Counsell will be fired this year.
Not really. Tampa, Houston, Chicago, Toronto, Red Sox, Yankees and maybe even the Mariners are teams I would say are ahead of the Tigers. Better chance in 2023 though between having Greene and Torkelson having a season under their belts alongside getting rid of Miguel Cabrera from the roster like the Angels did with Albert Pujols last year.
It seems like the White Sox always seem like a killer club on paper but when it comes to the field they ain’t all that. You see that lineup with Abreau, Anderson, Roberts, Jimenez, etc and it sounds so scary. But then you play em and they always seem to play down to the competition. I honestly feel like the Tigers are still a year or two away, but I’m hoping I’m wrong. I think you’ll see Tork and Greene have there bumps in the road and also Mize, Manning and Skubal won’t all be successful this year. But I think you get 1 more year of experience under their belts (not to mention Tork,Greene and maybe Kreidler some experience) and next year with another FA or 2 and will be playoff bound!
I hope Castro signs with the A’s as a utility opportunity.
Here are some of teams Detroit plays in their first two months: Yankees,Red Sox,White Sox, Dodgers,Twins (6x),Astros, Rays so they need to start off at .500 to have any chance to make the playoffs. SP strong, INF strong, OF power strong weakest parts are RP & OF defense, Injury to Greene zapped the best defensive outfielder
Tigers played contending teams tough after April 1st last year,
The adds they made greatly improved the team.
And, the budding, young players are expected to take steps forward.
It should be an exciting year for Tigers fans!
Tigers should be sleeper pick to contend for the Division.
Pitching is 80% of baseball and they certainly have great, young pitching.
I must have a different take than some here. Yeah, that collection of BP arms doesn’t look solid. Injuries, late arrivals to camp and expanded rosters has everything to do with that. I don’t see the SP as a disaster coming out of the gates. Many upgrades position wise to field a much better team than we’ve seen the last few years. Are they a playoff team? I don’t know. I certainly don’t think with the upgrades they have made they are a bottom six team that was posted earlier here.
There’s no doubt this team has drastically improved on paper. They’re probably going to be streaky, but they’ll gel together. The window has finally reopened and the team is young. Good (and frustrating) times lie ahead.