LAKELAND, Fla. — Pitchers and catchers from the Detroit Tigers flooded into the team’s spring training facility Tuesday to complete their physicals ahead of Wednesday’s first workout.
All major league players were absent.
Spring training is officially delayed for players on the 40-man roster because of MLB’s lockout, which began Dec. 2 after the expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement. They won’t report to the complex until there’s labor peace.
TRENDING: Meet Tigers’ Cristian Santana, a confident 18-year-old shortstop who trains with Juan Soto
The Tigers, though, are holding minor-league minicamp for 62 players, including most of the organization’s top prospects. Players not included on the Tigers’ 40-man roster are permitted to participate in camp. The first full-squad workout is Monday.
FULL MINICAMP ROSTER: Top prospects among 60-plus players reporting to Lakeland
Here’s a look at 12 players in minicamp who could help the Tigers in 2022:
Top prospects
Age: 22.
2021 teams: High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: The Tigers drafted Torkelson with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, and barring an unforeseen circumstance, he will make his MLB debut in 2022. He is the No. 4 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, and the No. 1 prospect in the organization. The right-handed hitter combines strength and bat speed to create massive power, and he also boasts extraordinary plate discipline. Torkelson hit .267 with 30 home runs in 121 games last season. In 40 games with Toledo, he hit .238 with 11 homers, a 13.0% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Then, the slugger batted .450 with a .607 OBP over seven games in the Arizona Fall League. If Torkelson thrives in camp, he could make the Opening Day roster.
MORE ON TORK: Spencer Torkelson tasted pro baseball in 2021. Now he wants to win for Tigers
Age: 21.
2021 teams: Double-A Erie, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: Another former first-round selection, The Tigers grabbed Greene at No. 5 overall in 2019 out of high school. He is the No. 7 prospect in baseball and No. 2 in the Tigers’ farm system. From the left side, Greene hit .301 with 24 homers, 63 walks and 153 strikeouts in 124 games last season. His explosive swing was successful at the Triple-A level, recording a .308 batting average with eight homers, an 11.9% walk rate and a 27.6% strikeout rate in 40 games. He has a good chance to be the Tigers’ Opening Day center fielder.
MORE ON GREENE: Tigers prospect Riley Greene knows what’s next. The question is ‘when?’
Age: 24.
2021 teams: Double-A Erie, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: After Torkelson and Greene, there are no prospects who are locks to see MLB playing time in 2022. But Kreidler, a fourth rounder in 2019 from UCLA, is knocking on the door after hitting .304 with seven homers, 24 walks and 39 strikeouts in 41 games for Toledo. (He hit .257 with 15 bombs in 88 games for Erie, as well.) The Tigers signed shortstop Javier Baez to a six-year, $140 million contract before the MLB lockout, but the 6-foot-4 Kreidler — known for his defensive instincts and a strong arm — is ready to play second or third base. The team’s No. 10 prospect has Detroit’s attention but should return to Triple-A to begin 2022.
MORE ON KREIDLER: Ryan Kreidler willing to ‘change my game’ after Tigers land big-ticket shortstop in free agency
Second-tier prospects
Age: 22.
2021 teams: High-A Wisconsin (Milwaukee Brewers), High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie.
The buzz: Olson, the Tigers’ No. 11 prospect, came to the organization from the Brewers in exchange for lefty reliever Daniel Norris at the July trade deadline and gained immediate respect by pitching 11 scoreless innings with two walks and 14 strikeouts in West Michigan. He advanced to Erie and posted a 4.74 ERA with 14 walks and 21 strikeouts over 24⅔ innings in five starts. Olson won’t make a big-league impact unless he cleans up his command. He averages 4.4 walks and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings in his three-year career.
MORE ON OLSON: After Daniel Norris trade, Tigers prospect Reese Olson is ready to emerge
Age: 23.
2021 teams: High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie.
The buzz: The Tigers grabbed Brieske in the 27th round of the 2019 draft. Two years later, he became the team’s No. 27 prospect. In 2021, he posted a 3.12 ERA with 23 walks and 116 strikeouts over 106⅔ innings for West Michigan (13 starts) and Erie (eight starts). In those eight starts for Erie, Brieske registered a 2.66 ERA with eight walks and 40 strikeouts over 44 innings. His performance won him the organization’s minor-league pitcher of the year award. Brieske’s best quality is his fastball command, and his velocity — averaging 94 mph and topping out at 96 mph — should guide him to an opportunity in the majors soon. His best secondary pitch is his changeup, but he needs to continue developing his slider and curveball.
MORE ON BRIESKE: Tigers’ Beau Brieske, a 27th-round draft pick, wants ‘to be one of the best ever’
Wait and see
Age: 26.
2021 teams: High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie.
The buzz: After a strong 2021 season, Hill impressed in the Arizona Fall League. He logged a 1.98 ERA with three walks and 21 strikeouts across 13⅔ innings over five games (three starts). As for the regular season, Hill recorded a 2.74 ERA with 28 walks and 99 strikeouts over 75⅔ innings in 17 starts for West Michigan (13 games) and Erie (four games), though he missed about six weeks due to a left oblique injury. Once he returned, he delivered a 3.20 ERA with 10 walks and 28 strikeouts for the SeaWolves. His fastball, which he confidently elevates, sits around 92 mph. His best secondary pitch is his changeup with an arm-side run. A refined slider could catapult Hill through the upper levels of the system. By the way, Hill has allowed only eight home runs across 237⅓ innings in the minors.
MORE ON HILL: Tigers prospect Garrett Hill, a former 26th-round pick, has big goals for 2022
Age: 24.
2021 teams: High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie.
The buzz: The Tigers drafted Fernander, born in the Bahamas, in the 35th round in 2018. He, too, pitched in the AFL this offseason, putting up a 3.38 ERA with six walks and seven strikeouts over eight innings out of the bullpen. He had a 3.68 ERA with 26 walks and 56 strikeouts over 58⅔ innings in the minors last year — a 3.86 ERA for the Whitecaps (11 games) and a 3.60 ERA for the SeaWolves (22 games). Fernander mixes his fastball and breaking ball well, and while he gets swings and misses with his changeup, it’s erratic at times.
Age: 24.
2021 teams: Low-A Lakeland, High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie.
The buzz: De La Rosa saved his career last year after a miserable 2019 season. His best attribute is his speed, stealing 34 bases in 43 attempts. For Double-A Erie, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound outfielder hit .226 with three homers, nine walks and 32 strikeouts in 29 games. His instincts on the bases will keep him in the mix for a role, but his offense lacks consistency. De La Rosa, a seventh-round pick in 2018, plays all three outfield positions. He hit .220 with two homers, five walks and 19 strikeouts in 18 AFL games.
MORE ON DE LA ROSA: What Tigers’ Eric De La Rosa learned from Spencer Torkelson in Arizona Fall League
Bullpen depth
Age: 27.
2021 teams: FCL Tigers, Low-A Lakeland, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: Shore, drafted 47th overall by the Oakland Athletics in 2016, appeared in 16 games (15 starts) for the Mud Hens last season, posting a 3.95 ERA with 30 walks and 64 strikeouts in 73 innings. He also made three rehab assignment starts for an injury sustained in June. He has plenty of experience in the minors, so the Tigers could use him as a spot starter (like Drew Hutchison in 2021). But Shore seems more likely to fit into the bullpen if he sticks around. His best pitch is his changeup.
Age: 26.
2021 teams: Detroit Tigers, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: A command-over-velocity pitcher, the Tigers called up Carlton for his MLB debut in September. He allowed two runs in 3⅔ innings with four walks and one strikeout. For Toledo, he had a 2.92 ERA with 10 walks and 49 strikeouts in 52⅓ innings. The biggest knock against Carlton was his 89 mph fastball velocity. So, this offseason, he changed his lower-half mechanics and expects to sit around 92 mph this season. If that’s the case, the Tigers will likely give the former 32nd-round pick another opportunity. He throws a slider and changeup, too. The Tigers removed Carlton, who has a 2.03 ERA in his minors career, from the 40-man roster in November.
Age: 26.
2021 teams: Seattle Mariners, Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: The Mariners selected Vest in the 2020 Rule 5 draft but returned him to the Tigers in the middle of July. He pitched 35 innings (32 relief appearances) for Seattle and struggled with a 6.17 ERA, 18 walks and 27 strikeouts. For the Mud Hens, he had a 4.91 ERA, eight walks and 25 strikeouts over 25⅔ innings in 23 games. His low-spin fastball averages 94 mph, and he also features an 85 mph slider and 84 mph changeup. He already has MLB experience, so the Tigers could give him a second chance in 2022.
Age: 24.
2021 teams: Houston Astros, Triple-A Sugar Land (Astros), Triple-A Toledo.
The buzz: Rodriguez has pitched nine games in his MLB career for the Astros, owning a 4.50 ERA with 10 walks and 11 strikeouts over 16 innings out of the bullpen. The Tigers claimed him off waivers from the Astros in August, and he logged a 4.93 ERA with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts over 34⅔ innings for the Mud Hens. “It’s a young arm who isn’t developed fully at all,” Tigers manager AJ Hinch, the former Astros manager, said in August. “We’re going to take an opportunity to fill our roster and take a shot at making him better.” (Another ex-Astro to watch in minicamp is Carlos Sanabria, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever.)
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.