The Tigers have reached a Minor League deal with veteran outfielder Austin Slater, a source told MLB.com’s Jason Beck. The club hasn’t confirmed the deal, which includes a Spring Training invite.
Slater, 33, gives Detroit an additional right-handed-hitting outfield option who can start against southpaws. The 33-year-old historically has performed much better against left-handed pitching (career .787 OPS) than righties (.640 OPS).
That profile fits a Tigers club that featured one of baseball’s most platoon-heavy lineups last season, batting with the platoon advantage 59.5% of the time -- sixth highest in MLB.
A nine-year veteran who has played for the Giants, Reds, Orioles, White Sox and Yankees, Slater is a lifetime .248/.336/.384 hitter with 45 homers and 184 RBIs in 699 games overall. He posted a .642 OPS over 65 games for the White Sox and Yankees in 2025, hitting all five of his homers against lefty pitching.