The Detroit Tigers sold at the deadline and received a decent haul of prospects for expiring contracts. While reasonable fans and media accept the reality of the deadline and the delusional still demand video game-style trades, the Tigers still have two months of baseball to play. In those two months, some players need to establish whether or not they are a part of this team's future.
Parker Meadows
Parker Meadows recently returned to Detroit after a short rehab in Toledo. So far, he has played well. His play in centerfield is undeniably elite. The question about Meadows is whether his bat can stay consistent. He has the potential to be everything the Tigers hoped Akil Baddoo would be: a fast player who hits the ball in the gaps with some sneaky power. If he focuses too much on hitting for power, he'll find himself in a similar situation to Baddoo. If he keeps putting the ball in play and making plays on the base pads, he'll be in Detroit.
Justyn-Henry Malloy
Justyn-Henry Malloy has good plate discipline and good power. While he has struck out a bit more than the team would like, he draws a lot of walks, too. Malloy has a tough road ahead of him in the outfield. Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter are the Tigers' top two outfielders, and with their injury-laden histories, they are likely to demand some days at DH. Wenceel Perez can switch hit and is ahead of him in developing as an outfielder. Matt Vierling seems a potential candidate to become the Tigers' new utility player. Throw in Meadows, and where does that put Malloy? His path to staying in Detroit is to produce consistently at the plate. If he can lower the strikeouts and keep the power, he'll give the Tigers some difficult decisions.
Spencer Torkelson
Spencer Torkelson's season has been talked to death. It is undeniably disappointing that after a strong 2023 season (31 home runs and 94 RBIs), he has spent most of 2024 in Toledo. Of late, he's shown some signs of coming out of it. He has been mashing lately. He had a 30-game stretch with an OPS of .924. He won the Toledo Mud Hens Player of the Week award with a .304 average. Now, the problem is that it is coming against Triple-A pitching. These aren't Major League pitches. The question is whether his approach at the plate has changed or is sticking with the same swing that got him sent down. Can he hit the 95+ fastball? Or, perhaps, it was all a confidence thing. The Tigers can only hope that the 2023 Torkelson wasn't a fluke. Hopefully, they can find out sooner than later.
Wenceel Perez
Wenceel Perez had been the most consistent of the Tigers' rookies until recently. Of course, Colt Keith has launched himself into the stratosphere following a tough first month. Perez, however, hasn't had very low lows or very high highs, consistently hanging around his .260 batting average. His task is to show how he responds to his first slump. Perez has still shown up with big hits during this stretch. He's hitting .152 since July 14. If he can respond and finish strong, he puts himself in a good position to be in the mix in the outfield next season. His versatility as a switch-hitter gives him an advantage as well.
Others?
Dillon Dingler just got the call-up. He needs to go through the Major League experience before the Tigers can really know what to expect from him. Casey Mize and Matt Manning need to get healthy. Then, the Tigers must evaluate what they can expect from those two. The Tigers may be best served letting the pair compete for a rotation spot with Sawyer Gipson-Long. This idea may not excite fans, but it is more realistic. Manning and Mize may find their way to the bullpen or out of Detroit. Assuming next year's rotation is led by Tarik Skubal and Reese Olson, the Tigers will sign at least one starter, hopefully similar to Jack Flaherty. They may even sign two, depending on what they decide to do about Kenta Maeda. Don't get angry, but it seems possible that Maeda is the fourth starter next year. His contract necessitates that possibility. If Manning and Mize can't beat him out to win the fourth and fifth spots, that reveals more about them than Maeda.
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