Vilade signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old Vilade will be moving on the third organization of his career after stints with Colorado and Pittsburgh since entering the professional ranks as a second-round draft pick in 2017. Vilade saw his lone big-league action with the Rockies in 2021 but has played almost exclusively at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons. Over 511 plate appearances with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis in 2023, Vilade slashed .270/.370/.382 with six home runs and seven stolen bases.
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Tigers' Garrett Hill: Re-signs with Tigers
Rotowire
The Tigers re-signed Hill to a minor-league contract Sunday.
Hill was non-tendered by Detroit earlier this month but will remain in the organization. It's not clear whether he was given an invitation to the major-league side of spring training as part of the deal. Hill was torched for 20 runs (16 earned) over 15.2 major-league innings in 2023.
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Tigers' Kenta Maeda: Heading to Detroit
Rotowire
Maeda agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract with the Tigers on Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Maeda spent the last four years in Minnesota and will remain in the AL Central on a two-year deal with the Tigers. After posting a career-best 2.70 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 66.2 innings during his first year with the Twins in the COVID-shortened season, the right-hander regressed over the past two years. He recorded a career-worst 4.66 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 106.1 innings during the 2021 campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the 2022 campaign. He wasn't particularly dominant in his return to the mound last season, logging a 4.23 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 104.1 innings. However, the Tigers will hope that he can bounce back during his age-36 season in his second year removed from his procedure.
The Tigers selected Dingler to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Dingler delivered an .839 OPS with 16 home runs and 58 RBI over 89 total major-league games in 2023. The 25-year-old catcher finished out the season with Triple-A Toledo and could make his major-league debut at some point during the 2024 campaign.
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Tigers' Wilmer Flores: Selected to 40-man
Rotowire
The Tigers selected Flores to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Flores is now protected from selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, though he's likely still far away from making his major-league debut. The 22-year-old right-hander posted a 4.65 ERA and 90:33 K:BB in 89 innings (21 starts) this past season between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie.
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Tigers' Freddy Pacheco: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Pacheco (elbow) was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Tuesday.
Pacheco underwent Tommy John surgery this past June and is likely to be sidelined through the first half of the 2024 campaign. He no longer holds a spot on the Tigers' 40-man roster.
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Tigers' Brenan Hanifee: Pushed off 40-man roster
Rotowire
Hanifee was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Tuesday.
Hanifee made his major-league debut this past season at age 25, but he gave up three earned runs in five innings of relief and posted a 4.38 ERA across 90.1 innings with Triple-A Toledo. He is now off the 40-man roster in Detroit.
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Tigers' Bligh Madris: Gets minors deal from Detroit
Rotowire
Madris signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers on Monday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
He'll be in major-league camp during spring training. Madris was a waiver claim by the Tigers two offseasons ago but was traded before playing for them. The 27-year-old has managed just a .500 OPS over 51 games to this point at the major-league level. He'll likely begin 2024 at Triple-A Toledo.
Tigers' Akil Baddoo: Likely to be retained for 2024
Rotowire
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris indicated Tuesday that Baddoo will be tendered a contract for the 2024 season, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Baddoo was believed to be a non-tender candidate this winter after slashing just .213/.302/.331 in 582 combined plate appearances between 2022-23, but he is only projected to make around $1.7 million in 2024 -- his first year of arbitration eligibility -- and the Tigers are hopeful that he can recapture his 2021 form. That year, as a rookie, Baddoo put up a .766 OPS with 13 homers and 18 steals across his first 124 major-league games. "He still very much fits in," said Harris. "There is a role for him. We're not an organization that wants to give up players that can affect the game in that way for nothing."
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Tigers' Nick Maton: Recovering from knee surgery
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Maton recently required arthroscopic surgery to address discomfort in his left knee, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
It was a fairly minor procedure and the current expectation is that Maton will be fully recovered by the start of spring training in February. The 26-year-old batted just .173/.288/.305 across 293 major-league plate appearances with the Tigers in 2023, but he drew 41 starts at third base, 19 starts at second base and even one start at shortstop.
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Tigers' Casey Mize: Nearing normal offseason program
Rotowire
Mize (elbow) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Mize is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Friday and will then move along to a normal offseason program, assuming all continues to go well. The 26-year-old right-hander missed the entire 2023 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he could be a consideration for the Tigers' Opening Day rotation in 2024 if his health cooperates.
The Tigers designated Alexander (lat) for assignment Monday.
Before his season came to an end in July when he suffered a partial tear to his left lat, Alexander had enjoyed a solid season out of the Detroit bullpen. He pitched to a so-so 4.50 ERA, but most of Alexander's peripherals (3.66 xERA, 21.5 K-BB%) were encouraging. Alexander had advanced to throwing long toss in September, so he should be tracking toward a return to full health by spring training. Though he's no longer a member of Detroit's 40-man roster, the 29-year-old lefty could make for an appealing flyer for another organization via a waiver claim.
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Tigers' Andrew Vasquez: Pushed off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Tigers outrighted Vasquez to Triple-A Toledo on Monday.
Vasquez made 42 appearances in the majors between the Phillies and Tigers in 2023, logging a 3.35 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 43:23 K:BB in 48.1 innings. Though the 30-year-old southpaw will stick in the Detroit organization for now after clearing waivers, it wouldn't be surprising if he elected free agency at a later date.
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Tigers' Trey Wingenter: Outrighted off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Tigers outrighted Wingenter to Triple-A Toledo on Monday.
Wingenter went unclaimed upon being exposed to waivers after he compiled a 5.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB in 17 innings with the big club in 2023. The 29-year-old right-hander could opt for free agency in the coming days and assess his options on the open market, though he likely wouldn't garner anything more than a minor-league deal.
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Tigers' Keider Montero: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Tigers selected Montero's contract from Triple-A Toledo on Monday.
Detroit will protect Montero from the Rule 5 Draft and add him to the 40-man roster after he produced a 4.66 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while striking out 160 over 111.1 innings between Toledo and Double-A Erie in 2023. The Tigers could give the 23-year-old right-hander a chance to compete for a spot in the big club's Opening Day rotation, but with several arms ahead of him in the pecking order, he's most likely to head back to Toledo to begin the 2024 campaign.
