LAKELAND, Fla. — As the spring exhibition season gets underway on Saturday, there are a whopping 78 former Detroit Tigers in camp, competing for spots on 28 different teams.
That’s a new record in our annual survey, topping the 73 ex-Tigers at the start of camp in 2025 and 2023.
That’s often a good sign. It means the Tigers’ roster is more difficult to crack, so good players get squeezed off or never get an opportunity. It could also reflect a more aggressive churn at the bottom of the 40-man roster and even in the upper levels of the minor leagues.
One notable aspect of this year’s survey is the number of Tigers minor-league free agents who ended up in other camps: catcher Eliezer Alfonzo (Los Angeles Dodgers); first baseman Jake Holton (San Francisco Giants); infielders Jim Jarvis (Atlanta Braves) and Riley Unroe (Houston Astros); and left-hander Andrew Magno (Baltimore Orioles).
They’re among a group of 30 players who were part of the Tigers organization at some point last year and are now in other camps.
The Philadelphia Phillies, led by former Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski, are the only team without an ex-Tiger in camp after releasing Nick Castellanos. The Giants lead the way with nine ex-Tigers.
Check out the list below and let me know if you find anyone we missed. Players with an asterisk are non-roster invitees.
Arizona Diamondbacks
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
RHP Paul Sewald
C James McCann
RHP Derek Law*
OF Oscar Mercado*
Athletics
RHP Elvis Alvarado
RHP Mark Leiter Jr.
IF Andy Ibáñez
RHP Geoff Hartlieb*
C Brian Serven*
Chicago Cubs
LHP Matthew Boyd
RHP Shelby Miller
LHP Caleb Thielbar
C Carson Kelly
Chicago White Sox
OF Derek Hill
Cincinnati Reds
IF Eugenio Suárez
OF Dane Myers
LHP Anthony Misiewicz*
Cleveland Guardians
RHP Carlos Hernandez*
RHP Codi Heuer*
Colorado Rockies
RHP Michael Lorenzen
RHP RJ Petit
IF/OF Willi Castro
RHP John Brebbia*
Kansas City Royals
RHP Alex Lange
RHP John Schreiber
Los Angeles Angels
IF Jeimer Candelario*
Los Angeles Dodgers
C Eliezer Alfonzo*
IF Keston Hiura*
Milwaukee Brewers
OF Akil Baddoo
IF Eddys Leonard*
San Diego Padres
RHP Ty Adcock
OF Nick Castellanos
IF Nick Solak*
San Francisco Giants
RHP Jason Foley
LHP Matt Gage
LHP Robbie Ray
IF Willy Adames
RHP Michael Fulmer*
LHP Nick Margevicius*
C Eric Haase*
IF Jake Holton*
IF Buddy Kennedy*
Seattle Mariners
RHP Randy Dobnak*
Texas Rangers
LHP Tyler Alexander
Atlanta Braves
RHP Joe Jimenez
LHP Joey Wentz
IF Jim Jarvis*
OF Jose Azocar*
OF Brewer Hicklen*
OF Ben Gamel*
Baltimore Orioles
LHP Dietrich Enns
LHP Andrew Magno*
Boston Red Sox
RHP Devin Sweet*
Houston Astros
IF Isaac Paredes
IF Riley Unroe*
Miami Marlins
RHP Chris Paddack
C Liam Hicks
Minnesota Twins
IF Ryan Kreidler
IF/OF Kody Clemens
LHP Andrew Chafin*
IF Gio Urshela*
New York Mets
RHP Reed Garrett
New York Yankees
RHP Kervin Castro
RHP Rafael Montero*
C Ali Sanchez*
IF Zack Short*
Philadelphia Phillies
none
Pittsburgh Pirates
LHP Gregory Soto
RHP Jose Urquidy
RHP Beau Burrows*
St. Louis Cardinals
RHP Gerson Moreno*
Tampa Bay Rays
RHP Mason Englert
RHP Edwin Uceta
OF Justyn-Henry Malloy
OF Ryan Vilade
Toronto Blue Jays
RHP Chase Lee
Washington Nationals
LHP PJ Poulin
IF Sergio Alcántara*