Mize, Manning among Tigers' non-roster invites

January 17th, 2020

DETROIT -- The Tigers’ rotation of the future will be on display next month, wearing the Old English "D" on the mound in Lakeland, Fla. Top pitching prospects Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Tarik Skubal will join Alex Faedo and Joey Wentz among the non-roster invites to Spring Training.

Also headed to big league camp are recent Major Leaguers Brandon Dixon, Zack Godley, Nick Ramirez, Frank Schwindel and Alex Wilson.

Here’s the full list:

Left-handed pitchers: , ,

Add in other prospects who were added to the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, including right-handers Beau Burrows and Anthony Castro, infielder Isaac Paredes and outfielders Daz Cameron, Derek Hill and Troy Stokes Jr., and 19 of the Tigers' Top 30 Prospects per MLB Pipeline will be in Major League camp.

None of these prospects are expected to compete for a spot on Detroit’s Opening Day roster, but the impressions they make in Lakeland on manager Ron Gardenhire and his staff could put them in position for a call-up by the end of the summer.

Mize and Manning in particular could be positioning themselves for midseason arrivals if their progress continues. MLB Pipeline ranked Mize as baseball’s top right-handed pitching prospect for the 2020 season, with Manning ranked seventh. The pair teamed up with Faedo, Skubal and eventually Wentz for a star-studded rotation at Double-A Erie in '19.

The 22-year-old Mize, who was the top overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, posted an 8-3 record and 2.55 ERA in 21 starts between Erie and Class A Advanced Lakeland, while hurling a no-hitter in his Double-A debut. He was also a non-roster invite to big league camp last year in order to learn the habits of Major League starters.

Manning, who turns 22 on Jan. 28, went 11-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 24 starts for the SeaWolves. The ninth overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft struck out 148 batters over 133 2/3 innings with just seven home runs allowed.

Skubal ranks fourth among MLB Pipeline’s top left-handed pitching prospects and fourth on the Tigers' list of top prospects after a breakout 2019 campaign in his first full pro season. The 23-year-old struck out 179 batters over 122 2/3 innings with 87 hits allowed and a 2.42 ERA between Lakeland and Erie.

Faedo struck out 134 batters over 115 1/3 innings at Erie, where he posted a 6-7 record and 3.90 ERA. Wentz racked up 37 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings over five August starts in Erie after joining the Tigers organization from the Braves' farm system as part of the Shane Greene trade.

Also in camp will be hard-throwing relief prospect Wladimir Pinto, who struck out 87 batters against just 41 hits allowed over 61 2/3 innings between Erie and Lakeland.

While those prospects compete to make an impression, other non-roster invites will be battling for a job. Dixon led the Tigers with 15 home runs last year, but he was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A Toledo last month when Detroit signed C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop. Ramirez tossed 79 2/3 innings out of the Tigers bullpen last year with a 4.07 ERA, but he was taken off the 40-man roster at season’s end. Godley, Bonifacio and Wilson signed Minor League contracts with non-roster invites earlier this offseason.

Bonifacio could be of particular interest to the Tigers if they don’t sign another outfielder. Right field is expected to be in play, and Bonifacio is three years removed from an encouraging rookie season in Kansas City, where he hit 17 home runs with a .752 OPS in 113 games.