Veteran infielder Greg Garcia will not make the Tigers’ season-opening roster, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com was among those to report. It’s unclear whether Garcia, who signed a minor league contract with an opt-out clause in the offseason, will remain with the organization.
A Cardinal and Padre from 2014-20, Garcia carries quite a bit of experience in the middle infield and at third base. The Tigers are slated to start Jonathan Schoop at second base, Willi Castro at shortstop and Jeimer Candelario at the hot corner, but Garcia could eventually factor in as a backup at those positions if he does stay with the club. Along with providing defensive versatility, the 31-year-old has batted a respectable .245/.354/.339 in 1,303 major league plate appearances.
In other Tigers news, manager AJ Hinch announced Thursday that catcher Grayson Greiner has made the roster as Wilson Ramos’ backup, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic relays. Non-roster invitees Dustin Garneau and Eric Haase will remain with the team until the end of the spring, but it’s unknown whether they’ll stick around beyond then.