ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers have revealed their Opening Day roster.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch finalized the list of 26 players for Thursday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. There were more than 60 players in the clubhouse at the beginning of MLB spring training.
The Tigers were strategic in their roster construction.
“Four of the first seven starters we’re facing are left-handed,” Harris said, discussing right-handed hitting infielder Ryan Kreidler. “We’re excited to see him get to work. We think he has a chance to take that next step, and we’re going to certainly build the systems around him to help him.”
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The Tigers completed their Opening Day roster by selecting the contracts of relievers Chasen Shreve and Trey Wingenter, adding them to the 40-man roster.
Shreve and Wingenter signed minor-league contracts in the offseason and will receive $1.25 million and $1 million, respectively, as base salaries — not including performance bonuses — for breaking camp with the Tigers.
“The better you pitch, the more you get to pitch,” Hinch said. “The better you enter games, the more likely it is for you to stay in the game and continue getting four, five, six, up to nine outs. … I like this bullpen because of the versatility and length that we have, and I think that will develop into a pretty strong part of our team.”
Right-handed reliever Rony García was designated for assignment (and cleared waivers) to open one spot on the 40-man roster. To open a second spot, righty reliever Edwin Uceta was designated for assignment.
The Tigers optioned left-handed reliever Tyler Holton to Triple-A Toledo.
Two pitchers are starting the season on the 15-day injured list: right-handers Michael Lorenzen (left groin strain) and Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort). One position player is starting the season on the 10-day injured list: infielder Tyler Nevin (left oblique strain).
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The most notable roster battle among the positions players came down to left-handed hitting outfielders Kerry Carpenter and Akil Baddoo.
The Tigers optioned Baddoo, whose performance has steadily declined since his MLB debut, to Triple-A Toledo despite improvements in spring training. Carpenter, who hits for power but still chases too many pitches, became the fourth outfielder on the Opening Day roster.
Carpenter hit .333 with three home runs, two walks and 13 strikeouts across 54 plate appearances in spring training, while Baddoo hit .250 with three homers, five walks and 14 strikeouts across 53 plate appearances.
“We’re going to need him this summer,” Harris said of Baddoo. “At this point, he got beat out by four other outfielders who have earned their spot this roster. … We feel like we’re a little bit deeper in the outfield, which gives us the opportunity to make a really tough decision, but those are the decisions you want in the end.”
Tigers’ 2023 Opening Day 26-man roster
Catchers (2): Eric Haase (LF), Jake Rogers.
Infielders (6): Javier Báez (SS), Ryan Kreidler (UTIL), Nick Maton (3B/2B), Zach McKinstry (UTIL), Jonathan Schoop (2B, 3B, 1B), Spencer Torkelson (1B).
Outfielders (4): Kerry Carpenter (LF/RF), Riley Greene (CF), Austin Meadows (LF/RF), Matt Vierling (LF, CF, RF).
Designated hitter (1): Miguel Cabrera.
Starting pitchers (5): Matthew Boyd (LHP), Matt Manning (RHP), Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP), Spencer Turnbull (RHP), Joey Wentz (LHP).
Relief pitchers (8): Tyler Alexander (LHP), José Cisnero (RHP), Mason Englert (RHP), Jason Foley (RHP), Garrett Hill (RHP), Alex Lange (RHP), Chasen Shreve (LHP), Trey Wingenter (RHP).
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.