Detroit Tigers Predicted To Part Ways With Struggling Former Top Prospect
The Detroit Tigers are approaching a crossroads headed into the offseason coming off a last month of the season that was one of the most electric in the history of the franchise.
After sitting 9.5 games back in late August, Detroit became the hottest team in baseball down the stretch to make the postseason and even defeat the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round before the epic run came to an end in the ALCS against Cleveland. Headed now into the offseason, the Tigers do so with the knowledge that their rebuild is beginning to take fruition and they are not as far off as it previously seemed from contending for a championship.
In order to build a true contender, difficult decisions will have to be made by the front office in terms of where to allocate resources and when to cut bait with existing players that have become less valuable than their contracts may indicate. One of those played has become the 2018 No. 1 overall selection in the MLB Draft and former Detroit top prospect in Casey Mize. The right-handed pitcher will have a team option on the desk of Scott Harris this winter which would make him significantly higher paid than he is now, and Emma Lingan of Motor City Bengals doesn't see the team deciding to pick it up, instead opting to let him become a free agent.
"If the past few months have been any indication, it seems likely that the Tigers will indeed decline Mize's $3.1 million option and cut ties with their former top prospect," Lingan wrote. "In Detroit's magical second-half surge, Mize played only a supporting role at best, so it feels unlikely that the Tigers will be inclined to more than triple his salary for next season."
Mize has struggled through some poor injury luck throughout his career and only made 22 appearances this season, appearances that did not exactly inspire confidence that he is capable of being the star that the Tigers hoped they were getting when they made him the No. 1 pick.
With intriguing younger options ready and eager within the organization already along with top arms available in free agency, Detroit can certainly do better than Mize having a major role in 2025 for a team that hopes to take the next step.
