The Tigers have released Austin Slater ahead of Opening Day
The Detroit Tigers have endured a drama-filled offseason, but now that they are set to return to the field for the 2026 campaign, expectations are high. The Tigers feature a deep roster across the board, and if they can build off of their run to the playoffs in 2025, big things could be in store for this team.
The first order of business for Detroit as the new season draws near involves setting its Opening Day roster. Manager A.J. Hinch is continuing to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and with one guy, veteran outfielder Austin Slater, being on the outside looking in, the team made a roster move involving him as the start of the season draws near.
Tigers Release Outfielder Austin Slater
The Tigers granted OF Austin Slater his unconditional release. Slater was able to exercise a release clause if not added to the team’s roster by today.
He is now a free agent.
Slater has been in the majors since 2017, and after initially spending the first seven-and-a-half seasons of his career with the San Francisco Giants, he’s bounced around the league quite a bit over the past two years. In 2024, Slater spent time with the Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Baltimore Orioles before playing for the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees in 2025.
Known for his ability to hit left-handed pitching, Slater didn’t exactly have a great year in 2025, as he hit just .216 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 65 games between the White Sox and the Yankees. Still, he drew interest as a free agent this offseason, and he decided to sign with the Tigers in an effort to earn a job on their major-league roster.
Slater held his own during Spring Training, as he hit .267 with one home run and 4 RBIs in 30 at-bats, but it still wasn’t enough for him to stick around with the team in the majors. A clause in Slater’s contract allowed him to be granted his release if he ended up not making Detroit’s Opening Day roster, and he recently exercised that clause, making him a free agent again.
“The Tigers granted OF Austin Slater his unconditional release,” Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported in a post on X. “Slater was able to exercise a release clause if not added to the team’s roster by today. He is now a free agent.”
How Will Tigers Replace Austin Slater?
GettyThe Tigers have released Austin Slater ahead of Opening Day
Slater was always going to face a bit of a tough challenge when it came to cracking Detroit’s Opening Day roster, as they have a handful of outfielders at their disposal. With Riley Greene, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Perez, Matt Vierling, and Javier Baez all capable of playing in the outfield, that simply made Slater expendable.
Considering how he drew interest from several other teams over the offseason and has a reputation for being a lefty-masher, Slater should be able to find a new home before the start of the new season. In a perfect world, Detroit would be able to stash him in the minors, but Slater knows he’s capable of helping out in the majors immediately this season. As a result, it will be worth keeping tabs on his status to see where he ends up after getting cut by the Tigers.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli