The Detroit Tigers are Running Out of Options in Center Field

At this time last season, the Tigers were generating a ton of buzz. Sellers at the deadline, but tracking towards a remarkable postseason run. A run that would not have been possible without center fielder Parker Meadows, who was blossoming into a special player.

All indications were that Meadows would continue that trend into 2025 and anchor center field providing gold glove defense, speed, and some power, establishing himself as a foundational piece into the future.

Well, that path closed quickly. Injury derailed his momentum and start to the season, only for him to be a shell of himself upon return before landing, once again, on the injured list. The Tigers have navigated injuries to other center field options throughout the year to an extent that Javier Baez was pushed to the position, which he had never played prior to this season.

Now, with Matt Vierling landing on the injured list, again, the Tigers are scrambling to fill a hole that just keeps getting deeper.

The Musical Chairs Route

The beauty with how the Tigers have constructed their roster allows for versatility and flexibility. Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez’s ability to fill multiple positions have afforded the Tigers to deal with injury without missing much of a step.

With Vierling and Meadows not only injured, but struggling, Baez can kick back to center. We all saw how natural Baez looked in center earlier in the year where tracking flyballs and making miraculous catches came surprisingly natural to him.

Moving Baez to center allows for McKinstry to man short, Gleyber Torres to fill second, and Colt Keith to slide over to third. You take a step back, defensively, at third but this move allows for the best defensive option in center while still getting above average defense at short from McKinstry.

Trey Sweeney can also plug in at short, but his bat has not been nearly good enough to demand that type of playing time. I’d rather Keith be average to below average at short instead of sacrificing offensive upside with Sweeney in the lineup.

You could pivot to Wenceel Perez in center. Perez has taken a step forward this year slashing .267/.321/.492 with nine home runs and a 123 wRC+. The power output has already matched last season’s total and he’s on pace to surpass his stolen base total from last season as well.

Perez, a switch-hitter, struggled against lefties last season but has turned it around slashing .308/.339/.635 across 52 at-bats this year. For a team who plays the platoon advantages, this development makes Perez an important piece, especially against lefties.

He’ll still see plenty of time in right when Kerry Carpenter DH’s or with a lefty on the mound, but manning center would allow for Baez to stay at short, McKinstry to give better defense at third, and Keith/Torres to DH and play second. Andy Ibanez can also slide in against lefties.

Moving players around like this would be troublesome for most teams, but the Tigers have established it as part of their identity. Players have talked about knowing they will be called upon in games, even if they do not start. Being versatile allows Hinch to mix and match and still get production, even with Meadows and Vierling out.

Can the Tigers Count on Meadows or Vierling once Healthy?

Eventually, both Meadows and Vierling will have an opportunity to return and help this team down the stretch. Well, at least in theory. Injuries not allowing either player to truly get in a natural rhythm might lead to both having their season being a wash.

Meadows has played in only 38 games, slashing .200/.270/.296 with a 59 wRC+. As good as he looked down the stretch last season, I don’t think it is reasonable to count on that level of production returning this year.

The sample size of “good Parker Meadows” is still relatively small, and considering how much time he’s missed, I think it’s a long shot for him to provide much once he returns.

In fact, with how well Perez has played, if this team were fully healthy, I could see a path where Meadows is demoted to Triple-A Toledo in hopes of getting right and staying ready for what feels like an inevitable injury from another outfielder.

For Vierling, it has been better but not by much. He’s appeared in only 31 games slashing .239/.310/.307 with only one home run and a 76 wRC+. It did feel like he was turning a corner posting a .721 OPS over the past month and hitting one of the bigger home runs of the season before injury shut him down.

Oblique injuries can be tough. It all comes down to severity, but an injury like that can linger even after you return to play. Considering he actually started to find his footing, I have more confidence in him providing value once healthy.

Vierling’s return will allow the Tigers to once again use their flexibility to get him in the lineup at third or in the outfield. He’s played primarily center this season, leading me to believe they would keep him there and push Perez to right with Carpenter sliding to DH.

At this point, the Tigers have struggled to the point of allowing the Guardians back into the divisional race. They are not in a position, at least not right now, to give either player a long leash. That’s why I see Meadows as a potential demotion candidate, as long as others are healthy and playing well.

Final Thoughts

Detroit has had all three of their primary centerfield options spend a considerable amount of time on the injured list this season. Luckily, Baez is enough of a freaky level defender to pull off the switch to one of the more difficult positions look easy. Without him, they would have been lost.

All things considered, the Tigers are in a decent spot. Their flexibility has allowed them to stay afloat without having to play Ryan Kriedler or Manuel Margot, who has since been released, in a large capacity.

If the Tigers are going to make some noise in the playoffs, they are going to need production from center. Whether that be Vierling/Meadows returning and looking like they did last season, or Baez/Perez continuing their improved offensive season.