LAKELAND, Fla. -- The moving truck parked outside the clubhouse building at Joker Marchant Stadium was the obvious first sign Saturday morning that Spring Training is near an end. For some players, those hints have been building for a while as the Grapefruit League at-bats have piled up.
At some point, it’s time.
“Definitely feel ready to go,” Spencer Torkelson said after Detroit's 3-1 win over the Yankees, “excited to get out of here, get a change of scenery and get the thing rolling.”
And yet, as the Tigers prepared to head west to Arizona for two Spring Training games against the Rockies, and then on to San Diego for Opening Day, and as other gear prepared to head north to Detroit, the shape of the roster showed they’re bringing more baggage than bats, balls, spikes and uniforms with them. They’re bringing their final roster decisions with them. Their lone roster move Saturday was Austin Slater, who exercised his rights to request his release when he wasn’t added to the roster by Saturday’s deadline.
“No decisions today,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
The rest of the decisions could go all the way to the eve of Opening Day. They’re bringing a big roster with them to Arizona for depth. Some of those players will fly back across the country to join Triple-A Toledo when the Mud Hens open their regular season in Lehigh Valley next Friday.
Most of the roster is easy to figure out, but at least a couple key questions remain:
Will Kevin McGonigle make the Opening Day roster?
McGonigle, ranked by MLB Pipeline as Detroit's top prospect and No. 2 overall, continues to make his case. After making highlight reels Tuesday with a diving stop and throw from deep in foul territory behind third base, he arguably topped that Saturday at the hot corner by diving to his left to stop a Jasson Domínguez ground ball that had been blistered at 104.5 mph. Not finished, McGonigle quickly bounced to his feet to start a double play as Domínguez sped down the line at an elite level of 30.6 feet per second.
It was his latest answer to any lingering questions about his defense.
“He’s a quick learner, because he pays attention to the details,” Hinch said. “[Infield instructor] Billy Boyer last year really challenged him to get more consistent pre-pitch, which is a small detail. And then you see it come out on a double play, where he needed every bit of reaction and burst to get to the ball to create two outs for [Tigers starter Framber Valdez]. His ability to retain how to do things right and keep your competitive energy in the right areas is very noticeable.”
In the bottom of the same inning, McGonigle battled Yankees starter Cam Schlittler for seven pitches, fouling off a 98.7 mph heater to stay alive for a 96.1 mph cutter that he lined into left field for a two-out single. He’s 4-for-27 for March after going 6-for-13 in February, but he departs the Grapefruit League with more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight), including in March as pitchers have honed their command and their arsenal.
If McGonigle makes the roster, somebody who played a role on last year’s playoff team likely has to go to Triple-A Toledo. It could be an outfielder such as Wenceel Pérez or Parker Meadows, particularly if McGonigle primarily plays shortstop and Javier Báez bounces into the outfield some more. If the Tigers see McGonigle as a more general left-side infielder who can play third base as often as shortstop, then a left-handed-hitting infielder could go.
Who will round out the bullpen?
Enmanuel De Jesus, whose World Baseball Classic performance for Venezuela was dominant enough that the Tigers had to add him to their 40-man roster to keep him from signing with a KBO team, returned to camp and picked up where he left off with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts Friday against the Phillies. Considering the Tigers already have him on the 40-man roster, it’s difficult to see him not making the team.
Brenan Hanifee tossed a perfect inning with a strikeout in relief Saturday, while Brant Hurter hasn’t given up a run since his March 4 appearance against the Dominican Republic. Non-roster invitee Burch Smith remains in camp and has looked impressive, tossing 6 2/3 scoreless innings over the past month after giving up a two-run inning in the Spring Training opener. One pitcher in that quartet is likely to not make the team, and Smith is the only one of the group not on the 40-man roster.