The Detroit Tigers continued their momentum after surprisingly making it to Game 5 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians last season, signing second baseman Gleyber Torres to a one-year, $15 million contract this offseason. That'll shake up the infield, though, with incumbent second baseman Colt Keith moving to first base, which could potentially phase out former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson out of the team's plans.

However, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said that Torkelson can still make the team, via Tigers ML Report.

“My message to Tork was that if you have a big offseason and a big spring training, there's a role for you on this team,” Harris said. “This team needs more right-handed power and we've seen Tork do that in the past. He reminded me how hard he's working this offseason and he seems very determined to earn a role on this team, too.”

Torkelson struggled this past season after a hot 2023, slashing .219/.295/.374 with 10 homers and 34 RBI across 92 games. The six-foot, 220-pounder blasted 31 homers and 94 RBI in '23.

If Torkelson doesn't have a good spring training, though, his future with the team will officially be up in the air.

Spencer Torkelson has work cut out for him with Tigers

Torres didn't have his best season last year, either, slashing .257/.330/.378 with 15 homers and 63 RBI across 154 games with the New York Yankees. However, he has a more established track record than Torkelson, and Harris is excited to bring him in, via the Detroit Free Press's Evan Petzold.

“We think he can get better on both sides of the ball,” Harris said. “Gleyber believes that, too. He had a lot of opportunity to go to different places on longer deals than he took, but his agents were really upfront with me about his desire to bet on himself, and honestly, that made me want him more.”

Meanwhile, Keith slashed .260/.309/.380 with 13 homers and 61 RBI in his rookie season this past year, providing a solid foundation to build on. With both players performing better in 2024 than Torkelson, it's easy to see why Harris favors them.

Torkelson, though, has the talent to outshine both, which is why this upcoming spring training is the most important of his career.