After a surprisingly quiet offseason, the Tigers enter the 2017 season with a veteran roster that leaves little doubt when it comes to roles around the roster. There are still a few unsettled spots that will be determined over the next five to six weeks, however. Here’s a look at the roster battles set to take place in Tigers’ camp this spring…

Center Field

Mikie Mahtook

Age: 27

Bats: R

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason

Options Remaining: 1

Tyler Collins

Age: 26

Bats: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason

Options Remaining: Out of options

JaCoby Jones

Age: 24

Bats: R

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason

Options Remaining: 3

Anthony Gose

Age: 26

Bats: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2020-21 offseason

Options Remaining: Out of options

For much of the offseason, center field was billed as a likely competition between Gose, Collins and Jones. The fact that the former two are out of minor league options and Jones’ relative lack of experience in center gave Collins and Gose an apparent edge, but the narrative shifted on Jan. 18. That’s the date on which Detroit acquired Mahtook from Tampa Bay and designated Gose for assignment. The speedy Gose would clear waivers and remain in the organization, but he’s now a long shot to make the team as he’s not on the 40-man roster.

A platoon scenario seems like a perfectly plausible option for the Tigers, who could deploy the left-handed-hitting Collins against right-handed starters (career .265/.331/.424 against righties) and the righty-swinging Mahtook against opposing southpaws (.276/.322/.537 career against lefties). Jones has scarcely played above the Double-A level, but GM Al Avila has mentioned him on multiple occasions this winter, so a huge spring could get him a look. And while Gose never hit with the Tigers (or the Blue Jays prior to being traded to Detroit), the 26-year-old could potentially force his way back into the mix with a big performance.

Prediction: A platoon of Collins and Mahtook wins the job and patrols center for the bulk of the regular season.

Starting Rotation (One spot)

Anibal Sanchez

Age: 32

Throws: R

Contract Status: One year, $16MM; club option worth $16MM in 2018 ($5MM buyout)

Options Remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Mike Pelfrey

Age: 33

Throws: R

Contract Status: One year, $8MM

Options Remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent



Matt Boyd

Age: 26

Bats: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason

Options Remaining: 1

Other potential candidates: Buck Farmer, Shane Greene, Drew VerHagen

There’s little doubt about the top four in the Tigers’ rotation. A resurgent Justin Verlander will lead the way and be followed by 2016 Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer. Jordan Zimmermann will hope for better health in the second season of a five-year, $110MM contract. Daniel Norris’ 3.38 ERA in 13 starts (plus one relief appearance) and 69 1/3 innings last season should land him in the starting five as well.

The Tigers would probably have loved to jettison either Sanchez or Pelfrey this winter, as neither veteran lived up to his salary in 2016. Sanchez is owed $16MM this season plus a $5MM buyout on a 2018 option, while Pelfrey is owed $8MM in the second season of a two-year deal that to this day is still surprising. Neither pitcher’s struggles are confined to the 2016 campaign, though, as Sanchez is toting a 5.42 ERA over his past 310 1/3 innings (two seasons), while Pelfrey carries a 4.97 ERA in 460 innings since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2013.

Boyd is the younger option here and a hopeful long-term piece for the Tigers. Acquired alongside Norris in the 2015 David Price blockbuster with the Blue Jays, the 26-year-old Boyd has excelled in Triple-A but struggled in the Majors to date. In 105 innings at the minor leagues’ top level, Boyd boasts an exceptional 2.40 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9. His big league ERA is well north of the 5.00 mark, but he did improve in 2016, tossing 97 1/3 innings with a 4.53 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 38.1 percent ground-ball rate. That he has an option remaining and is not playing on a significant multi-year deal like Sanchez and Pelfrey works against him.

Prediction: Sanchez wins the rotation spot, with Pelfrey headed to the bullpen to work in a long relief role. (That assumes health among the Tigers’ top four starters, of course.)

Bullpen (One spot)

Daniel Stumpf

Age: 26

Throws: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason

Options Remaining: 3

Blaine Hardy

Age: 30

Throws: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason

Options Remaining: 2

Kyle Ryan

Age: 25

Throws: L

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason

Options Remaining: 2

Joe Jimenez

Age: 22

Throws: R

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2022-23 offseason

Options Remaining: 3



Shane Greene

Age: 28

Throws: R

Contract Status: Pre-arbitration; cannot become a free agent until at least the 2021-22 offseason

Options Remaining: 1



Other potential candidates: Edward Mujica, A.J. Achter, Logan Kensing

Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson, Alex Wilson, Bruce Rondon, Mark Lowe and whichever of Pelfrey/Sanchez loses a rotation spot this spring figure to be locks for the bullpen, assuming the Tigers don’t simply cut bait on a well-compensated veteran like Lowe or Pelfrey. That leaves one vacant spot in manager Brad Ausmus’ relief corps — assuming the Tigers go with a traditional 12-man pitching staff to open the season.

Hardy has been quite good in the Majors when healthy, but he battled shoulder troubles early last year and spent much of the 2016 campaign shuttling between Triple-A Toledo and Detroit. Ryan could give Detroit a second lefty option behind Justin Wilson. He’s logged 112 frames in the Tigers’ bullpen across the past two years and performed reasonably well in that stretch, but he doesn’t suppress left-handed hitters as well as Hardy (career .703 OPS against for Ryan compared to a .609 mark for Hardy).

Stumpf represents another southpaw option and, as a Rule 5 pick, must remain on the roster in order to stay in the organization (barring a minor trade to fully acquire his rights). He’s been rocked in his only five innings of MLB experience and comes with a previous 80-game PED suspension, but Stumpf was impressive last season in the Phillies’ minor league ranks.

As for right-handed options, Jimenez entered 2016 as one of the better-regarded relief prospects in baseball and furthered that reputation with a sensational 1.51 ERA, 13.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across three minor league levels. He tossed just 15 2/3 innings in Triple-A, though, so the Tigers may be wary of rushing him to the bigs too quickly — especially with limited bullpen space and others options from which to choose.

Greene’s 5.82 ERA from last season looks disastrous, but he posted solid strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates in 60 1/3 innings with the Tigers. ERA alternatives FIP, xFIP and SIERA all liked him for a sub-4.00 mark, with FIP the most bullish at 3.13.

Mujica, Achter and Kensing are among Detroit’s non-roster invites to Spring Training. Each would give Ausmus an experienced arm, with Mujica offering the lengthiest track record of Major League success. Given the number of internal options on the 40-man roster, any of the bunch strikes me as a long shot, barring numerous injuries and/or underperformances.

Prediction: Had the Tigers moved Justin Wilson this offseason — and they were rumored to have many talks involving him — it’d be easier to envision Stumpf sticking on the roster. But Hardy has achieved repeated success in the Majors in recent years and has had the most success against left-handed hitters out of any of the team’s options for a second southpaw. He’s my pick for their remaining bullpen spot.

[RELATED: Detroit Tigers Depth Chart]