The future of Austin Meadows and Spencer Turnbull with the Detroit Tigers has been announced.
It’s the end of an era for several members of the Detroit Tigers, as the team announced minutes ago that they would not be tendering contracts to the following players: RHP’s Brenan Hanifee, Garrett Hill, Freddy Pacheco and Spencer Turnbull and OF Austin Meadows.
The Tigers made the announcement on social media
It was just earlier this evening when the Tigers’ Public Relations X (formerly known as Twitter) account made the official announcement.
Austin Meadows’ time with the Detroit Tigers is through
The Tigers acquired Meadows last April in a trade that sent infielder Isaac Paredes and a competitive balance round B pick in the 2022 amateur draft to the Tampa Bay Rays in return.
Meadows arrived at the Tigers with the expectation that he would provide consistent offensive contributions. Coming off a strong 2021 season with Tampa Bay, where he hit .234 with 27 home runs and a career-high 106 RBIs, the anticipation was high. However, his time in Detroit was marred by setbacks. He played only 36 games in 2022, dealing with a series of challenges including a bout of COVID-19, vertigo, Achilles tendinitis, and anxiety.
He only appeared in six games in 2023 before going right back on the 60-Day Injured List in early April owing to his anxiety issues, and hasn’t played since.
Spencer Turnbull’s nine year run with the Detroit Tigers organization is over
Turnbull was chosen by the Tigers in Round 2 (63rd overall) during the 2014 MLB Draft, and his Major League debut came in September 2018. However, it was in 2021 that he etched his name into franchise history by pitching the 8th no-hitter in Tigers history against the Seattle Mariners.
He finishes his career in Detroit with a 12-29 record, 255 strikeouts and a 4.80 ERA.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Tigers announced the future of Austin Meadows and Spencer Turnbull among others tonight
- Both Turnbull and Meadows were not tendered new contracts, meaning that they will now be hitting the open market
- The Tigers also non-tendered Brenan Hanifee, Garrett Hill, and Freddy Pacheco.
Bottom Line: Best of luck to the now-former Tigers
It’s true that some Tigers fans might regret the trade involving Paredes going to the Rays in exchange for Meadows. Unfortunately, Meadows couldn’t quite find his rhythm during his tenure with Detroit. Meanwhile, Turnbull’s remarkable achievement of pitching a no-hitter has certainly secured his place in Tigers history, leaving an enduring mark regardless of other trade outcomes.
We wish Meadows and Turnbull as well as Hanifee, Pacheco and Hill best of luck in their future baseball endeavors.
