Austin Slater's time with the Detroit Tigers came to an abrupt end when the team decided not to add him to the Opening Day roster, paving the way for him to sign a contract with the Miami Marlins on the eve of the season. Slater was a non-roster invitee to Tigers camp, but the team favored other right-handed hitting options in the outfield. The outfielder's contract with the Marlins is a Major League deal, according to Jon Heyman via X, formerly Twitter.
Slater lived a lifelong dream after his trade from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Yankees last season. However, his Yankees tenure was an injury-riddled affair that left him dreaming of another opportunity to prove he could play with the franchise. The injuries cost him favor with management and paved the way for his invitation to Spring Training with the Tigers.
Slater had just 25 plate appearances with the Yankees last season, batting .120 with a whopping 16 strikeouts. It was even worse than his play with the White Sox all season, as he struck out just 35 times in 135 appearances.
The veteran outfielder had plenty of opportunities to prove that he was still worthy of a contract with the Tigers in Spring Training, playing in 15 games and getting 36 plate appearances. He was a pleasant surprise despite not earning a roster spot, as he batted .267 with a .467 slugging percentage. However, the swing-and-miss issues were still there for Slater, as he struck out 10 times in the 36 appearances.
It isn't hard to see why the Marlins would value Slater, as their three starting outfielders are all left-handed hitters. He will bring some versatility from the bench.
