Tigers Notes: Keith, Jung, Offseason

Tigers second baseman Colt Keith departed yesterday’s sport after injuring his shoulder on a diving play. As famous by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the 23-year-old initially stayed within the sport after the incident however took himself out afterward after he realized he couldn’t throw at full energy.

Keith will likely be despatched for testing by the Tigers however the membership is hopeful the damage gained’t show to be vital. As famous by MLB.com’s Harm Tracker, Keith suffered an damage to the identical shoulder as a prospect again in 2022 that restricted him to 48 video games that 12 months, although the rookie instructed reporters after the sport that yesterday’s challenge “felt totally different” than his outdated shoulder ailment.

An absence of nearly any size may have a big affect on the AL playoff image with simply over per week remaining within the common season and Detroit simply 1.5 video games behind the Twins for the ultimate AL Wild Card spot. Keith, who signed a pre-debut extension with the Tigers over the offseason that assured him simply over $28.5MM over six years, struggled early in his MLB profession however has actually turned issues round in latest months, with a stable .293/.340/.444 slash line in his 403 journeys to the plate that’s introduced his full-season offensive efficiency to basically league common (99 wRC+).

Utilityman Zach McKinstry, who has hit simply .224/.284/.352 in 109 video games with the membership this 12 months, would presumably see an uptick in taking part in time within the occasion that Keith misses any time or heads to the injured record. High prospect Jace Jung is another choice. He’s performed third base solely since being introduced as much as the majors however has spent extra time at second base in his minor league profession. Jung is out to a .214/.337/.257 begin by way of his first 83 MLB plate appearances, however he turned in a extra spectacular .257/.377/.454 slash in Triple-A previous to his promotion.

Each Keith and Jung have cut up their skilled taking part in careers between second base and third base, with a bit extra of an emphasis on the previous. There’s potential for Jung to cement himself because the staff’s on a regular basis third baseman now that Keith more and more seems to be the long-term second baseman, however Jung continues to be adapting at third base after spending his faculty profession at second base. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggests that Jung could not find yourself as a fixture on the sizzling nook, partly as a result of the Tigers stand as a viable match free of charge agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who clearly has longstanding ties to Detroit skipper (and former Astros supervisor) AJ Hinch.

That state of affairs is framed in speculative style, to be clear. Conceptually, nevertheless, it’s smart for the Tigers to think about premium free-agent additions and to be prepared to maneuver from the highest tiers of their farm system. The staff solely has probably Cy Younger winner Tarik Skubal below membership management by way of 2026, and whereas an extension is all the time potential, these chances are high lessened provided that he’s represented by the Boras Company. There’ll absolutely be efforts to maintain Skubal, be they through extension or free company, however the two remaining years he has with the staff do create one thing of a window.

Skubal headlines a rising core that additionally consists of Riley Greene, Reese Olson, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows and the aforementioned Keith, amongst others. They’re nonetheless hopeful of getting significant contributions from former No. 1 picks Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize, however neither has lived as much as expectations up to now (although Torkelson has been productive since coming back from Triple-A, hitting .267/.330/.448 — albeit with a 32% strikeout charge and .375 BABIP). Jung and younger Justyn-Henry Malloy may each be distinguished gamers, and Detroit has two of the sport’s high total prospects in outfielder Max Clark and right-hander Jackson Jobe.

It’s arduous to think about Clark or Jobe on the desk in offseason commerce talks, however the Tigers have surged into the postseason image and determine to have a comparatively aggressive offseason in retailer whether or not they attain the playoffs or narrowly miss. However with room for additions at third base, on the pitching workers (rotation and bullpen) and maybe one other nook bat within the first base/outfield/designated hitter mildew, the Tigers have myriad paths to bolstering the roster, any variety of which might be achieved through buying and selling from their non-Clark/Jobe prospect depth.

When it comes to payroll capability, whereas the Javier Baez contract looms giant as an albatross, he and Keith are the one gamers signed to assured contracts past the 2025 season. There’s appreciable room for the Tigers to make a splash or two — if not from the highest tier of obtainable names then definitely within the three- or four-year vary for mid-market free brokers.