Tigers opt for Spencer Torkelson at Triple-A

Tigers will send a first baseman Spencer Torkelson up to Triple-A before tomorrow’s game against the Rangers, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports. This decision opens a place of 26 players for Justyn-Henry Malloywhose impending promotion to the big leagues was reported by Petzold earlier today.

Torkelson hasn’t played in two of the Tigers’ last three games, and before today’s 8-4 win over the Red Sox, Detroit manager AJ Hinch I have a rather evasive response when asked if Torkelson’s option to the minors was a possibility. As it turned out, the speculation was correct and Torkelson will now head to Triple-A Toledo for the first time since his 2022 season.

In July of that year, Torkelson was hitting just .197/.282/.295 when the Tigers sent him back to the minors for six weeks to try to get back on track. Although he didn’t hit much better after being recalled in September, some improvement was evident last season, when Torkelson hit .233/.313/.446 with 31 home runs in 684 plate appearances. That translates to a respectable 107 wRC+, and given that Torkelson had some of the best hard-hit ball and barrel rates in the league, there was plenty of optimism that he could fully break out in his third season in MLB.

Unfortunately for Torkelson and the Tigers, his numbers have swung heavily in the other direction. Torkelson has just a 71 wRC+ across four home runs and a .201/.266/.330 slash line, and his hard contact metrics and walk rates are all well below league average. Things have gotten particularly dire over Torkelson’s last 10 games, with just three hits to show for in his last 40 trips to the plate.

This deep slump has left the Tigers with no choice but to see if the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft can once again find himself with a stint in the minors. Torkelson’s option even comes with Kerry Carpenter on the injured list for 15 days and possibly facing an extended layoff due to a back stress fracture, but given his numbers, a case can certainly be made that the Tigers’ roster would be improved and even more embarrassed if someone other than Torkelson took over. at first base.

Torkelson entered the season with a full year and 137 days of MLB service. Another full season in the majors would have put Torkelson in a very good position to earn Super Two status and an additional year of arbitration eligibility, depending on where the Super Two threshold has typically fallen over the course of of the last 15 seasons. Although the thresholds have tended to drop a bit over the past five years, spending even a month in Toledo could remove Torkelson from the Super Two conversation entirely.

This is undoubtedly a concern for Torkelson and his representatives at the Boras Corporation, and Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris surely considered the implications of the Super Two among the many factors involved in the decision to go with Torkelson for Triple-A. What both sides can agree on, however, is that Torkelson’s future earning potential will be hurt even more if he fails to consistently hit Major League pitches. Some time in the minors may therefore be necessary at this still early stage of Torkelson’s journey. career. Torkelson is not even 25 years old yet, and his development in baseball has already faced the unexpected obstacle of the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season.

Marc Canha, Gio UrshelaOr Andy Ibanez could gain some time at first base, as Detroit will now revamp its lineup in search of more all-around production. Malloy figures to play as a corner outfielder or DH, and if Urshela starts playing first base more often, that opens up more playing time at third base for hot hitters. Matt Vierlingwho is currently a timeshare at third base and center field.