The Tigers’ Rule 5 Protections and 40-Man Roster Crunch
A look at the players the Tigers could protect from the Rule 5 Draft and the 40-man roster crunch those decisions could create.
Every offseason, there are months and months of discussion surrounding who should be added to or removed from a roster. Free-agent and trade hypotheticals dominate headlines and podcasts as we all fixate on outcomes that are unlikely to ever happen. But hey, that’s part of being a fan.
We often forget to discuss the transactions that come first. The less sexy, yet important, Rule 5 protections and the shuffling of the 40-man roster through the microtransactions that happen throughout the offseason can go unnoticed.
For those unfamiliar, the Rule 5 Draft happens each December and helps prevent players from being stuck in one organization’s minor league system throughout their careers. Players drafted out of college get four seasons before they become eligible, while younger players get five. If an organization wishes to protect these players from the Rule 5 Draft, all it needs to do is add them to the 40-man roster.
Because the Detroit Tigers added so many younger players to the 40-man roster throughout the season, the Rule 5-eligible players might not be as intriguing this year. However, each season, we typically see a few players added, and usually, one is a surprise. Today, I want to walk through the possible players who could be added, along with the 40-man roster crunch it might create.
Rule 5 Players To Protect
Ahead of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft, the Tigers protected five players: Trei Cruz, Eduardo Valencia, Hao-Yu Lee, Jake Miller, and Thayron Liranzo. All but Cruz remain on the 40-man roster. They lost just one player in the draft, right-handed pitcher RJ Petit, who was selected by the Rockies.
While I don’t expect the Tigers to add as many players this year, there are still some intriguing names who are eligible.
Josue Briceño – 1B/C
2026 Stats (A/AA/AAA – 42G): .250/.349/.479, 9 HR, 118 wRC+
Briceño should be a very easy add for the Tigers. The 6-foot-4, big-bodied lefty bat comes with a ton of power potential to all fields, along with a hit tool that gives him the ability to be more than just a power bat. I think his profile is one the Tigers organization is going to love. He’s going to draw a lot of walks, hit for a ton of power, and not strike out too much.
His 2026 season was a bit of a disappointment due to injury and not getting a steady run at one level. I wouldn’t worry too much about some of the numbers, though. We’re talking about a top-50 prospect in all of baseball here. Briceño just turned 22 years old and isn’t likely to be an Opening Day starter, but he could factor in at first base or DH in 2027.
Although I think Briceño has the type of talent to quickly reach the majors, I do think he’ll spend time refining his game in the minors. Defensively, he’s a mess behind the plate, and I think a full-time move to first base would be best for everybody involved. Considering how much time he missed in 2026, there should be no concerns if he spends a good chunk of the season in Triple-A Toledo.
Decision: Protect
Max Anderson – 2B/3B
2026 Stats (AAA 108 G): .302/.386/.477, 15 HR, 133 wRC+
Max Anderson was a name that many fans were throwing around and demanding a promotion for throughout the 2026 season. A breakout in 2025 was followed by a very good year in Toledo, only for him to never be promoted to Detroit. He’s another player who draws plenty of walks and doesn’t strike out much, but he doesn’t come with the same power potential as some others in the system.
Personally, I have always struggled to see Anderson’s game translating to the majors. I thought too many of his hits were singles to the opposite field and that his ability to pull the ball in the air was a struggle. I will say that he showed some improvement in 2026 and is definitely a more intriguing player than I had previously considered.
But the organization is telling us a lot. They knew he had to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so doing so during the year and giving him an opportunity made sense. However, they never did so. He’s a limited defender, and the Tigers already have enough of those. I do think he will be added to the 40-man roster, but perhaps he’ll be used in a trade.
Decision: Protect, trade
Peyton Graham – SS/2B/OF
2026 Stats (AA 115 G): .290/.397/.429, 9 HR, 66 SB, 127 wRC+
This was the breakout year we were waiting for from the 2022 second-round pick. For a college player to take three seasons to finally reach Double-A is a bit of a head-scratcher, but Graham made the most of his opportunity. He stole 20 bags in 2025 across 100 games, and his 66 bags in 2026 set a franchise record for Double-A Erie. There are going to be some questions about his bat, but what we’ve seen over the past two years has been steady improvement.
I like his swing and think there’s a chance he could become the type of player who sprays enough balls into the gaps to solidify his value. We all know that the Tigers love defensive versatility, and Graham offers enough to be intriguing, although we’re not 100% sold on whether he can play the outfield regularly.
I do think Graham will be added and given a chance in spring training. The Tigers have fallen to the point of needing to sign Zach Short off the street to play shortstop, so having a player like Graham in the system and on the 40-man roster makes sense. You could argue there’s some redundancy with John Peck, which would be fair.
Decision: Protect
Joe Miller (L) – SP
2026 Stats (AA 18 G): 72 IP, 3.88 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 9.25 K/9, 4.00 BB/9
Miller was a college arm taken in the 11th round in 2022 without much prospect intrigue. However, every time I’ve watched him pitch, I’ve come away thinking he could at least be a depth option. Although smaller in stature, Miller’s fastball is good enough to play, and his breaking ball might be good enough, too.
In many ways, “maybe good enough” is the theme. I don’t think anybody would watch Miller and confuse him with top prospect Houma, but the Tigers are always shuffling lefties on and off their 40-man roster. An eventual role could be as a bulk-inning reliever or somebody who bounces up and down from Toledo.
With Jake Miller and Andrew Sears filling a similar role with more upside, I do not think Joe Miller gets protected. I did want to mention him because I don’t think he’s getting enough attention, for whatever that’s worth.
Decision: Not protect
Garrett Burhenn – SP
2026 Stats: Injured
Burhenn was a ninth-round selection in 2021 out of Ohio State. Unfortunately, injuries kept him from pitching in 2026, but what we saw in 2024 and 2025 has me intrigued. There’s a good enough fastball-slider combination here for him to be a bullpen option as soon as next year, and I think his changeup is good enough to help him against lefties.
Although he’s mostly been a starter in the minors, the Tigers could use more bullpen options, especially those who have the ability to strike somebody out. Burhenn’s delivery is a bit unique, with a slow start and an aggressive attack toward the plate. While it’s not super unusual, it could be enough of a different look to make him more effective out of the bullpen.
I don’t think he would be selected if left unprotected, but this might be my long-shot call for an unexpected protection.
Decision: Not protect, but possible surprise
Jaden Hamm – SP
2026 Stats: Injured
I’m sure some fans remember the Jaden Hamm hype in 2024. He made 23 starts in High-A, pitching to a 2.64 ERA and 3.09 FIP with 11 K/9. Heck, I think he even ended up on some top-100 prospect lists. Well, then he got to Double-A, and it didn’t look the same. He made 20 starts with a 4.88 ERA, 4.48 FIP, and just 8.24 K/9.
Let me first say that I don’t expect Jaden Hamm to be protected. I think he can get through the Rule 5 Draft without being selected, but I also think there’s still some intrigue with this arm. He’s coming off a shoulder injury, so a move to the bullpen to allow his curveball and fastball to hopefully play up could be beneficial. I still think his fastball can be a plus pitch, and if he can get a better feel for a third offering, there’s a non-zero chance he jumps back into the prospect discussion.
Decision: Not protect
Other Rule 5 eligible players: Bennett Lee (C), Luke Shliger (C), Enderson Delgado (C), Andrew Jenkins (1B), Clayton Campbell (1B), Javier Osorio (INF), Franyerber Montilla (2B/SS), Samuel Gil (INF), Izaac Pacheco (1B/3B), E.J. Exposito (UTL), Cristian Santana (1B), Justice Bigbie (OF), Chris Meyers (OF/1B), Seth Stephenson (OF), Roberto Campos (OF), Hayden Minton (P), Joseph Montalvo (P), Moises Rodriguez (P), Max Alba (P), Gabriel Reyes (P), Jojo Ingrassia (P), Carlos Marcano (P), Rayner Castillo (P), Eddy Felix (P), Zane Barnhart (P), Luke Taggart (P), Colin Fields (P), Eric Silva (P), Tanner Kohlhepp (P), Trevin Michael (P), Ryan Harvey (P), Zack Lee (P), Luke Stofel (P), Juanmi Vasquez (P), Eliseo Mota (P), Donye Evans (P), Frenny Grant (P), Yendy Gomez (P), Jorger Petri (P)
The group of names above includes all the other players eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. I’ll go ahead and say that I don’t expect any of these players to be protected, but history tells us there’s likely to be one. Just a quick rundown of some of the more notable names:
Campos was actually demoted this season and has never really found enough of a rhythm to become an option. Montilla still comes with intrigue, but he was injured all of last year and will have to show more ability with the bat. Tanner Kohlhepp is a favorite of some and might be a surprise protection or selection. At least he can strike some of them out.
The Tigers’ 40-Man Roster Crunch
Of course, adding any of these players to the 40-man roster will likely mean that some players have to come off. Any players currently on the 60-day IL will have to be activated before being placed back on the 60-day IL, impacting Bailey Horn, Reese Olson, Burch Smith, Will Vest, Trey Sweeney, Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Pérez, and Matt Vierling.
Of that list, Horn, Smith, and Sweeney feel like the most likely candidates to be removed from the 40-man roster. I want to add Pérez to this list simply because of the gruesome nature of his injury, but there’s not enough information on it yet. Either way, the Tigers are going to need to clear a few roster spots.
Potential Non-Tender, Trade, and Cut Candidates
Any player eligible for arbitration can be non-tendered a contract, allowing them to hit free agency. This is often used as a way to move on from players, but it can also be a way to settle on a lower salary than their projected arbitration amount.
Non- Tender Candidates: Beau Brieske – RP, Jacob Waguespack – RP, Matt Vierling – OF
Brieske and Waguespack will earn between $1.0 million and $1.4 million for the 2027 season. I think the organization has seen enough of Brieske and will be willing to move on in order to clear a 40-man roster spot and save a little bit of change. Waguespack was very serviceable in his role last year, and I do expect him to be brought back. However, depending on offseason acquisitions, moving on from him wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
I think we’ve also seen the end of the road for Matt Vierling. His peak was in the 2024 season, and we never saw him get close to those numbers again, with injuries playing a role in his regression. At this point, the team has too many options who are similar to, if not better than, Vierling to justify bringing him back at an inflated number (over $3 million).
If you’re interested in a deeper breakdown of each arbitration case for the Detroit Tigers, please read this excellent piece.
Cut Candidates: Yilber Díaz, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Jace Jung, Trey Sweeney, Corey Julks
I don’t think we need to spend much time on these names, and you might even be able to add others to the list. Trey Sweeney is probably the first one I’d remove, but the additions of John Peck, potentially Peyton Graham, and Max Clark make the middle infield picture more crowded.
Trade Candidates: Parker Meadows, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter
We don’t have to look too far back to when we thought these three names would be major pieces of the Tigers’ core moving forward. However, it hasn’t panned out that way. Carpenter and Meadows have continued to struggle to stay on the field, while Torkelson’s up-and-down play and inconsistencies make him a potential trade piece.
I don’t think any of these three are bad players or couldn’t fit on the 2027 roster. I just wonder if keeping all of them makes the most sense. With Riley Greene and Max Clark in the outfield and a need for another right-handed bat, using Carpenter or Torkelson in a trade could make sense to help balance the lineup.
Colt Keith is a strange piece of this equation. He doesn’t really have the offensive profile to fit at first base, has a long-term contract, and doesn’t really fit anywhere else around the diamond. Add Briceno and Valencia to the mix, and suddenly, first base and DH become a bit of a puzzle.
When it comes to the outfield, I think that’s an area where the Tigers could acquire a right-handed bat to help. If they do so, finding a spot for Meadows and/or Carpenter becomes more complicated. The Tigers already have enough players who struggle to stay healthy. Carpenter’s defensive limitations and platoon splits make him a more difficult fit as the roster continues to become more crowded.
I wouldn’t trade any of these players simply to clear a roster spot, but if you could use them to acquire other major leaguers who help complete the roster, I would be open to it.
I’m sure there will be a lot of change on the 40-man roster over the next several months. Some surprises, some disappointment, and hopefully some celebration. Who knows what the finished product will ultimately look like, but it has to be better than what we saw this season.
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