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The Detroit Tigers have signed veteran corner outfielder Austin Slater (age 33) to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, first reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Heyman noted in this report that the Yankees in fact “held previous talks” with the outfielder, who was traded to the Yankees from the Chicago White Sox at last year’s MLB trade deadline, in which Slater posted an underwhelming .240 OPS and -0.4 WAR in just 14 games with the Yankees after dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for over a month.

Slater, before the trade deadline in Chicago, posted a .721 OPS in 53 games with the White Sox in 2025. What he’s particularly known for is his success against left-handed pitching, in which Slater posted an .869 OPS against lefties in 42 games against them with the White Sox in 2025, according to StatMuse.

Slater came up with the San Francisco Giants back in 2017, and his best seasons arguably came in 2021 (1.4 WAR) and 2022 (1.6 WAR). Slater then bounced around a bit, leaving the Giants in 2024, then going to the Reds (briefly), Baltimore, Chicago, and finally New York with the Yankees. The Yankees reportedly offered Slater a one-year, $1 million contract for the 2026 season, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post last week.

However, the two sides could not reach an agreement, and now Slater ends up with Detroit, with a chance to make the team out of Spring Training in 2026. Slater will be competing with other outfielders for a spot on the team, such as Andy Ibanez and Jahmai Jones. At the very least, Slater could serve in a platoon role, which he was accustomed to with the White Sox and, most recently, the Yankees.

Platoon Depth Signing For The Tigers

This is a depth signing for the Tigers with no risk, since it’s a minor league deal. The possibility to not only add to their outfield depth chart, but potentially have an outfielder off the bench who could get healthy and keep showing his success against left-handed pitching with another full season under his belt. The Tigers greatly relied on the platoon option last year, according to MLB.com, in which it states that the Tigers employed a lineup with a “platoon advantage 59.5% of the time last season”, states Jason Beck of MLB.com.

The Tigers could revert to this method for the 2026 season. Slater, however, will need to show in Spring Training that he can rebound from his injury-riddled campaign with the Yankees last year and not only stay healthy but return to the productive form he was with the White Sox before last year’s trade deadline.

Just One Of Many Moves For Detroit This Offseason

This is one of several moves the Tigers have made this offseason, in which, earlier today, they also reunited with cornerstone franchise player and future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander on a one-year contract, and six days prior, signed the top remaining free agent pitcher on the market, left-hander Framber Valdez. The Tigers also reached an agreement on a 2026 salary for Tarik Skubal, who’s set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season.

It’s all hands on deck for the Tigers in 2026 in a win-now mode, and a rapidly improving American League East division. The Tigers will certainly be one of several teams in that division battling for that top seed in the American League and a chance at winning the World Series in 2026.

Matt Cunningham Matt Cunningham is an Endicott College Graduate with a Bachelor’s in Sport Management. He is an avid follower of Major League Baseball, a Heavy Sports Contributor for the Yankees and all 30 MLB teams, and a Member of the MLB Fan Council. More about Matt Cunningham

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