The Detroit Tigers faced the Colorado Rockies this afternoon in their final exhibition game before the regular season. Ahead of the game today, the Tigers optioned outfielder Trei Cruz, Wenceel Perez, and infielder Jace Jung to Triple-A Toledo. They also assigned infielders Max Anderson and John Peck, catcher Tomas Nido, and pitchers Sean Guenther, Burch Smith, and Ricky Vanasco to the minor leagues. This means that the Tigers’ top prospect and the second-ranked prospect in baseball, infielder Kevin McGonigle, has made the team and will start on Opening Day. Later tonight, after the game, the Tigers optioned right-handed pitcher Brenan Hanifee to Toledo, and that means Enmanuel De Jesus has made the roster as the third lefty out of the bullpen.
Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster
Kevin McGonigle
McGonigle, in 20 games this spring, hit .250 with a .888 OPS. Kevin McGonigle had two doubles, a triple, two home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored, and two stolen bases. McGonigle, in 88 minor league games last season across three levels, hit .305 with a .991 OPS. McGonigle had 31 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 80 RBI, 68 runs scored, and ten stolen bases.
Trei Cruz
Cruz hit .263 with a .649 OPS in 20 games this spring. He had two doubles, two RBI, a run scored, and two stolen bases. Last season, between Double-A and Triple-A, he appeared in 127 games and hit .279 with a .867 OPS. He had 33 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 66 RBI, 95 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases.
Wenceel Perez
Perez, in 16 games this spring, hit .158 with a .396 OPS. He had three RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases. Perez played in 100 games with the Tigers last season, hitting .244 with a .738 OPS. He had 17 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 43 RBI< 47 runs scored, and eight stolen bases. In six games between three levels in the minors, he hit .222 with a .730 OPS. He had a double, a home run, three RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base.
Jace Jung
Jung this spring in 20 games hit .286 with a .776 OPS. He had a double, a triple, five RBI, and five runs scored. In 21 games with Detroit last season, he hit .106 with a .343 OPS. He had three RBI and eight runs scored. In 110 games at Toledo, he hit .252 with a .816 OPS. He had 27 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs, 74 RBI, 69 runs scored, and four stolen bases.
Max Anderson
Anderson, in 20 games this spring, hit .294 with a .697 OPS. He had three doubles, four RBI, and five runs scored. In 122 games between Double-A and Triple-A last season, he hit .296 with a .828 OPS. He had 31 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 88 RBI, 78 runs scored, and three stolen bases.
John Peck
Peck, in 19 games this spring, hit .321 with a .974 OPS. He had a triple, two home runs, six RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base. Last season, in 118 games between High-A and Double-A, he hit .301 with a .792 OPS. He had 27 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs, 69 RBI< 88 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases.
Tomas Nido
Nido, in 16 games this spring, hit .240 with a .705 OPS. He had a home run, four RBI, and four runs scored. In ten games with Detroit, he went 12-37 with two RBI and four runs scored. He also appeared in 48 games at Triple-A Toledo, where he hit .209 with a .599 OPS. He had six doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, and 19 runs scored.
Sean Guenther
Guenther made seven appearances this spring and didn’t allow a run on five hits; he walked two and struck out five in 7.2 innings. In nine appearances with Detroit last season, one of which came as a start, he went 0-1. He posted a 5.23 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings. In seven games across three levels in the minors, with one coming as a start, he went 1-1. Guenther posted a 5.63 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and had seven strikeouts in eight innings.
Burch Smith
Smith, in eight games this spring, posted a 2.35 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and had nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings. He pitched last season in the Pirates system, appearing in 20 games, going 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 21.1 innings.
Ricky Vanasco
Vanasco, in nine appearances at spring training, posted a 4.82 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. He appeared in 21 games, with one coming as a start between Triple-A and Single-A, going 4-3. Vanasco had a 4.76 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.
Brenan Hanifee
Hanifee, in six appearances this spring, posted a 6.35 ERA, a 1.59 WHIP, and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. In 54 appearances with the Tigers last season, he went 3-3. Hanifee posted a 3.00 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 60 innings. In six games at Toledo, with one coming as a start, he posted a 1.50 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and seven strikeouts in six innings.
Enmanuel De Jesus
De Jesus, in four games with one coming as a start this spring, went 0-1. He didn’t allow an earned run; he did allow three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out ten in nine innings. De Jesus pitched for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in two appearances, and one of those coming as a start. He had a 0.55 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings. He pitched last season in the KBO, where in 32 games, with 30 of those coming as starts. De Jesus posted a 3.96 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 165 strikeouts in 163.2 innings.
4 thoughts on “Detroit Tigers Roster Transactions 03/24/2026”