The Detroit Tigers have a great roster, and with plenty of top prospects looking to make their MLB debuts in the future, the Tigers could look to move on from some of their infield depth.
Colin Keane of Motor City Bengals predicts three players who will be dealt in the offseason (or sooner), and a former Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees prospect is the first name he mentioned. That player is infielder Trey Sweeney.
“… Trey Sweeney hasn’t been able to figure things out at the plate yet with Detroit.” Keane writes. “Detroit’s farm system is loaded with high-end talent in the infield, with studs like Hao-Yu Lee knocking on the door and the franchise’s No. 1 prospect, Kevin McGonigle, soon to follow. In other words, the Tigers will soon have multiple in-house upgrades to Sweeney.”
Sweeney was drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2021 MLB draft, and eventually found his way to Detroit in 2024. He made his debut, but had a .218 batting average with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 36 games.
In his 2025 season, through 85 games, Sweeney has a .208 batting average with five home runs, 27 RBIs, three stolen bases, and a .578 OPS. His career OPS through 341 at-bats is .599, which isn’t good enough to secure a roster spot on the ascending Tigers.
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A few days before the trade deadline, he was optioned to Triple-A, and with the ascending prospects as Keane mentioned, there isn’t a clear path for his return to the big league roster, barring an injury.
The top Tigers prospects can take his place in the Majors, and Sweeney hasn’t done enough in the Majors to justify keeping him as a backup, especially if there is a team willing to buy into his potential.
He was acquired from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty deal at the 2024 trade deadline. A year and a half later, after lackluster performances in Detroit, Sweeney might be the odd man out in the infield.
The 25-year-old could be dealt in the offseason for a decent return, even though he hasn’t been incredible in his big league career. Detroit has reason to move him, and Keane predicts that the Tigers will find a suitor who believes in Sweeney’s potential.
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