Detroit Tigers: 3 non-roster invitees who could sneak their way on to the 2024 Opening Day roster
The Tigers released their list of spring training non-roster invitees on Wednesday. There weren’t very many surprises, but there were quite a few prospects who got an invite to big league camp.
Most of these prospects don’t have much of a chance to make the club. There’s really only one, who we will talk about in a bit, but a lot would have to happen for others to make it. Not a lot of the minor league signings have a very good chance at making the cut either. The Tigers’ roster still isn’t that great, but it’s nice when fringe guys or AAAA players aren’t fighting for roster spots.
Next week, 58 players will begin fighting for 26 spots. Most of the team is pretty much set in stone, which is nice, but there are still a few question marks.
So today, we’re going to go over three non-roster invitees who sneak their way onto the 2024 Opening Day roster. Let’s get started with the one prospect who has the best shot at making the team.
Justyn-Henry Malloy
There are prospects on the 40-man roster, such as Parker Meadows and Colt Keith, that are virtual locks to make the team. But Malloy, who is not on the 40-man roster, will have to carve his own path to the big leagues.
Malloy’s defense has not graded out well no matter where he’s played. Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press said on this week’s episode of the “Days of Roar” podcast that Malloy’s future is in the outfield because he played so poorly at third base.
Because of that, he’s going to have to hit his way on to the roster. Mark Canha has one of the corner outfield spots locked up, as will Kerry Carpenter. Meadows will likely be the Opening Day CF. That already makes it tough for Malloy to make the team.
Now, injuries and underperformance are bound to happen. If Malloy controls what he’s able to control and hits well, he can still make this team. But it’ll be tough. With that being said, of all the prospects not on the 40-man roster who got an invite to spring, he probably has the best shot.
Dillon Dingler could theoretically make it as well, but it would take an injury or two. He’s defensively sound, but the bat still needs work. Jackson Jobe isn’t going to make the team out of camp, although he could pitch in the majors at some point this season.
Trey Wingenter
Scott Harris made some decent additions to the bullpen this offseason with Andrew Chafin and Shelby Miller. However, both of those guys are on cheap one-year deals, so nothing is really guarenteed there.
This gives some minor-league signings a chance to make a name for themselves this spring. One of those guys is Trey Wingenter, who got some time with the Tigers last season.
Wingenter had a 5.82 ERA in 17 appearances last season. It is worth nothing that he had an expected ERA of 3.87 and a FIP of 3.96. He also had an 11.65 K/9.
The biggest issue for Wingenter has been throwing strikes and health. If you recall, he blew a save early last season in Toronto against the Blue Jays because he couldn’t find the strike zone. He also missed significant time last season with right shoulder tendonitis. He had Tommy John surgery back in 2020, and has had a pair of back surgeries in his career. The guy has just been snakebitten by the injury bug.
However, he has the stuff to pitch in a big league bullpen. He’s a classic fastball/slider guy, but throws in the high 90s, and that slider is wicked. He can be a nice weapon in that bullpen if he can just throw strikes.
Don’t count out Trey Wingenter. This is a good, live arm. If Chris Fetter and company can get him to throw more strikes — and if can stay healthy — he wouldn’t be a bad arm to have in the ‘pen.
Andrew Vasquez
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Even the addition of Chafin, the Tigers are pretty thin in their organization when it comes to left-handed relievers, and really, left-handed arms in general. So if something were to happen to either Chafin or Tyler Holton, Vasquez would likely be the first one to get a look.
Vasquez had a 2.27 for the Phillies last season before he was DFA’d, which was a surprise to some. But the 4.29 FIP and overall lack of a strikeout pitch told a different story.
When he was claimed by the Tigers, he was immediately inserted into that kind of LOOGY role. The results weren’t pretty. He had an 8.31 ERA and his BB/9 of 9.3 was identical to his K/9 in 12 games. Yuck.
His primary pitch is a big, sweeping slider, which can be effective if he throws his fastball for strikes. Sadly, the reason he throws his slider so much is that his fastball averages about 88 mph, which just doesn’t cut it in today’s game.
With that being said, he’s still probably the best backup plan should something happen to either Holton or Chafin. Joey Wentz could conceivably win a spot as well, especially since he’s out of options, but he’s a similar spot as Vasquez. He’s a lefty who has trouble throwing strikes consistently.
