On “Days of Roar,” The Athletic senior writer Evan Drellich details the struggles of regional sports networks – and the impact on Detroit Tigers fans.
The Detroit Tigers signed a position player.
Outfielder Austin Slater agreed to join the Tigers on Tuesday, Feb. 10, for the 2026 season, on a minor-league contract, according to multiple people with knowledge of the agreement. The 33-year-old received a non-roster invitation to MLB spring training.
Slater will earn $2 million if he makes the MLB roster, plus a potential $500,000 in incentives.
In 2025, Slater hit .216 with five home runs, 11 walks and 51 strikeouts across 65 games for the Chicago White Sox (51 games) and New York Yankees (14 games). As a right-handed hitter, he had a .224 batting average with a .726 OPS in 93 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
He has a track record of success in matchups with against lefties.
Slater has played 699 games in his nine-year MLB career, for the San Francisco Giants (2017-24), Cincinnati Reds (2024), Baltimore Orioles (2024), White Sox (2025) and Yankees (2025).
The Tigers have expressed interest in Slater for multiple years. His time in San Francisco overlapped with Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, who worked as the Giants’ general manager from 2020-22.
This story will be updated.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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