Detroit Tigers send 6 players to minor league camp in fourth round of roster cuts

LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers reassigned six players, including two pitchers who competed in the big leagues last season, to minor league camp Thursday morning in the fourth round of spring training cuts.

There are 34 players remaining in MLB spring training, with exactly one week until Opening Day.

The Tigers must cut eight more players — five pitchers and three position players — before next Thursday's deadline to set the roster for Opening Day against the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers plan to take the final roster decisions to the deadline, specifically with the bullpen.

"It starts to feel more and more real," manager A.J. Hinch said Thursday. "You stare at the face of the guys that are still in the room, and you realize just how difficult it's going to get in the next week to get down to the 26 that go north."

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The six players sent to the minors: right-handed reliever Trey Wingenter, left-handed reliever Andrew Vasquez, catcher Anthony Bemboom, infielder Keston Hiura, outfielder Bligh Madris and outfielder Ryan Vilade.

Wingenter and Vasquez pitched for the Tigers last season.

Wingenter, 29, posted a 5.82 ERA with seven walks and 22 strikeouts across 17 innings in 17 relief appearances. Vasquez, 30, had a 3.35 ERA with 23 walks and 43 strikeouts across 48⅓ innings in 42 relief appearances.

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Both pitchers walked too many batters in spring training: Wingenter had four walks and six strikeouts across 5⅓ innings, and Vasquez had six walks and seven strikeouts across 6⅓ innings.

"We need strikes," Hinch said. "That's been both of their issues from time to time, specifically Wing. He's a major league reliever when he's in the strike zone, but he's a high pitch count, volatile reliever when not. That has been the development project with him, and that continues. When it clicks and his delivery gets in sync and he fills up the strike zone, he's hard to hit. We've seen that at both levels. When he creates momentum for the other side by spraying the ball or walking guys or being erratic, he ends up on the short end of the decision. Commanding the strike zone is going to be important."

Hiura, 27, is trying to get back to the big leagues after playing 284 games for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2019-22. He hit .323 with two home runs, two walks and eight strikeouts in 34 plate appearances in spring training. Hiura will serve as the primary first baseman in Triple-A Toledo.

Hiura has an assignment clause, also known as an upward mobility clause, in his minor league contract, according to sources. There are three dates — March 26, June 1 and Aug. 1 — where the Tigers must notify the other 29 teams to see if a different club wants Hiura on its 26-man roster. If so, the Tigers must either add him to their roster or trade him to the interested team. If not, he will remain in the minors with the Tigers.

There isn't a clear path for Hiura to return to the majors with the Tigers unless first baseman Spencer Torkelson lands on the injured list.

"Keston can hit," Hinch said. "He demonstrated that. I thought his at-bat quality was good. He played one position. We still might expand that a little bit into left field. The reality of his contribution at the major league level is going to be centered around his bat. He offers a threat, and we saw that in games. His path is going to be as a right-handed bat where we can use him in a variety of different roles. I know he's ready to get back to the big leagues."

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Bemboom, 34, enters a three-catcher rotation in Toledo, joining 25-year-old Dillon Dingler and 27-year-old Donny Sands. The Tigers have finalized their two catchers — Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly — on the Opening Day roster.

Bemboom has reached the majors in each of the past five seasons, playing 82 MLB games combined.

"I don't want to turn him into Crash Davis because he still has some playing to do," Hinch said, when asked about Bemboom mentoring Dingler. "We wanted him to catch all the guys he could, either in the bullpen or in the games, and then he's going to have the natural leadership, mentorship. He'll play a few times a week and be on call if we need him. Catchers are a foul tip away. He could come to the big leagues tomorrow, and I trust that he would manage the game from behind the plate very effectively. Being the only left-handed bat from behind the plate is intriguing, as well."

Of the 34 players remaining in camp, two players — right-handed reliever Drew Anderson and outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy — are non-roster invitees. The other 32 players are members of the 40-man roster.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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