DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers are five games into spring training, and I’ve already got a bunch of thoughts about what we’ve seen (well, mostly heard).
Only one of the games has actually been on TV (Sunday vs. Tampa Bay), and one of Tuesday’s split-squad games (vs. Baltimore) wasn’t even on the radio.
So, we take what we can get this time of year. But still, it’s been enough to get a picture of what’s going on.
Here are some of my early thoughts.
I hope Beau Brieske makes the roster
In the pre-spring roster prediction, I had Brieske as one of the final two members of the bullpen because of how good he looked late last season.
He pitched 35 innings after returning from injury, striking out 31 batters with a 3.60 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. That was a big change from his rookie season, when Brieske struggled to miss bats as a starter but still found a way to be effective over 81.2 innings.
Brieske has made one appearance so far this spring, retiring all six batters he faced in the win over the Astros on Monday. He got four whiffs on 24 pitches, threw 18 total strikes, and struck out two batters. The only hard contact was a 108.7 mph ground ball.
A.J. Hinch loves a reliever who can give him multiple innings, so that definitely works in Brieske’s favor. But he’s got swing-and-miss stuff out of the bullpen, so he could also work his way into more high-leverage opportunities.
The bullpen is pretty crowded with Alex Lange, Jason Foley, Tyler Holton, Andrew Chafin, and Shelby Miller locked in. Either Reese Olson or Joey Wentz will likely take a spot as a piggyback starter with Casey Mize, too.
That leaves two spots for the likes of Brieske, Will Vest, Alex Faedo, Trey Wingenter, and potentially Wentz, even if Olson makes the team.
Brieske has minor-league options remaining, and the Tigers could justify a demotion by giving him another opportunity to start in Toledo. But the way his stuff plays up in the bullpen, I think he could help the Tigers right out of the gate.
Patience for Colt Keith
It’s been exactly one month since the Tigers signed Colt Keith to a massive contract extension, and in that time, we’ve gotten used to penciling him in as the starting second baseman.
I think it’s true: He will start for the Tigers on an everyday basis at the beginning of the season. But because he’s not fighting for a roster spot, there’s not as much focus on his spring performance.
The first five games are a reminder that this is a 22-year-old who has never played in an MLB game. Sure, Keith picked up hits in both of his first two games -- including a two-run double against the Yankees -- but each of his other three at-bats were strikeouts.
Is he just too amped up to finally reach the MLB level? Is this part of the typical ramp-up process for a hitter? Is he going to be behind MLB pitching? The answer to all three of those questions could very well be yes, but that doesn’t mean we should be any less excited about Keith.
All minor-league players come with uncertainty, but Keith’s profile is about as safe as it gets. He gets on base reliably. He showed consistent extra-base power throughout the minors. Strikeouts were not an issue.
He might not catch the league by storm in April, but remember, the Tigers have committed to him, so he’ll get a long leash.
Organizational depth
Over the past few years, Tigers spring training was about which minor-league caliber players were going to round out the MLB roster. This year, it’s about which MLB-caliber players will be sent to Triple-A.
Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg have done a nice job building depth in the upper levels of this organization. There’s a very good chance the Mud Hens’ starting rotation includes some combination of Faedo, Brieske, Olson, and Sawyer Gipson-Long.
These are players who not only have MLB experience -- they’ve had success.
Speaking of which, Akil Baddoo, Keston Hiura, Andre Lipcius, and Ryan Kreidler will all probably be in the Toledo lineup. These types of players would have easily made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster in the past.
We don’t know for sure if Parker Meadows can hit at the MLB level. Or if Gio Urshela can stay healthy. Or if Colt Keith will hit lefties. But if not, the Tigers have legitimate major leaguers on the bench to mitigate those issues. Matt Vierling can platoon in center field. Zach McKinstry and Vierling can both play third. Andy Ibanez was adequate as a semi-regular second baseman.
What if Justyn-Henry Malloy just rakes all spring?
The Tigers have a very clear-cut picture from an everyday player perspective. Barring injury, the 13 position players who head north will be Keith, Urshela, Meadows, Jake Rogers, Spencer Torkelson, Javier Baez, Mark Canha, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Vierling, Ibanez, McKinstry, and Carson Kelly.
Malloy is the one person I could see throwing a wrench into those plans.
Already this spring, Malloy is showing that patented combination of power and elite plate discipline. He drew four-pitch walk against the Yankees in his first game, hit a screaming line drive against Nick Ramirez earlier in that game, and blasted a game-tying opposite-field homer to right-center field against Tampa Bay.
The Tigers will almost certainly go with Vierling, McKinstry, and Ibanez as their three-man bench, but if Malloy has a Baddoo-esque spring (remember that incredible month in 2021?) how much longer can they keep him off the roster?
Keep Riley Greene healthy at all costs
Tuesday was just another reminder of Greene’s potential. He ripped a 98 mph line-drive single to center in his first at-bat, drew a four-pitch walk the next time up, and then smacked a 103.1 mph liner to left for a double.
While healthy last season, Greene appeared to be developing into Detroit’s best all-around player. I really want to see what he does if they can just keep him on the field for a full season.
Meadows should handle the majority of center field duties this season, and Vierling is available there, as well. So Greene should be able to get accustomed to a corner spot and settle into the heart of the batting order.
Bryce Harper had to learn early in his career that a few great plays in the outfield aren’t worth missing months at a time. Hopefully that realization is coming to Greene.
