Detroit – The Tigers Friday avoided arbitration with three players and tendered contracts to eight other arbitration-eligible players.
The one casualty, utility infielder Andy Ibanez, a vital right-handed hitting option off the bench the last three seasons, was not tendered a contract and is now a free agent.
That move was foreshadowed earlier in the week when second baseman Gleyber Torres accepted the $22 million qualifying offer to return to the Tigers in 2026. Ibanez, entering his age-33 season, not only lost playing time at second base, he also lost at-bats against left-handed pitching to Jahmai Jones last season.
The non-tender writing was on the wall.
Ibanez’s pinch-hit, three-run double off Houston’s Josh Hader in Game 2 of the wild card series in 2024 secured the Tigers’ first playoff series win since 2013. In three seasons he slashed .251/.304/.392 with a .696 OPS.
The Tigers came to one-year contract agreements with utility player Matt Vierling ($3.255 million), catcher Jake Rogers ($3.05 million) and right-handed reliever Beau Brieske ($1.157 million).
Players who were tendered but not signed were: pitchers Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Will Vest and Tyler Holton; outfielders Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter; and infielders Zach McKinstry and Spencer Torkelson.
The Tigers have until Jan. 8 to negotiate with those players. On Jan. 8, both sides have to exchange salary figures ahead of arbitration hearings that begin in February. The Tigers have had only one player (Michael Fulmer in 2019) take them to arbitration since 2001.
In addition, six players, all relievers, whom the Tigers designated for assignment earlier in the week, were also procedurally non-tendered: Sean Guenther, Jason Foley, Duggan Darnell, Jack Little, Tyler Mattison and Tanner Rainey.
Those players, no longer on the 40-man roster, but can now negotiate minor-league deals with the Tigers without going through the waiver process.
The Tigers have 39 players currently on their 40-man roster.
@cmccosky