John Peck gave the Tigers a useful night Wednesday, but the bigger roster question in Detroit still points back to Max Anderson.
Peck finished with two hits and three RBI in an 11-6 win, yet the club’s choice not to add Anderson when rosters expanded remains hard to square. Anderson is still hitting above .300 in Triple-A, and with the Rule 5 draft looming this offseason, the Tigers are going to have to sort out his future one way or another. The puzzling part is why that decision wasn’t made now.
The short-term answer appears tied to Hao-Yu Lee, who may be forcing Detroit into a crowded infield conversation. Lee’s glove needs work, but the bat keeps carrying him.
Even in the middle of the Tigers’ rough August, he hit .276 with a .778 OPS. If Detroit views Lee as more than just a depth piece - if he’s part of the lineup plan the way Kevin McGonigle is - that squeezes Anderson’s path even further.
That squeeze gets tighter when you map out the infield Detroit seems to be building toward. With Gleyber Torres gone after the season, a possible 2027 setup could include Spencer Torkelson at first, Anderson at second, McGonigle at shortstop and third, and perhaps Colt Keith at third.
But that picture also has to account for Peck, Javy Báez and Lee. There are only so many spots to go around.
Anderson and Lee are both second and third basemen who have spent much more time at second, and neither profiles as a perfect fit everywhere. Lee’s defense is worse at third than at second, while Anderson is better at the keystone.
If McGonigle is playing every day and bouncing between third and short with Báez, then Anderson and Lee are left battling for second-base reps and backup time behind McGonigle. That’s workable on paper, but it could also shortchange both players - especially with Keith also capable of moving around and taking away more at-bats.
The Tigers have every reason to believe Lee belongs in the majors right now, and Anderson may be the most electric hitter in the organization. That’s exactly why this is such a tricky call.
Detroit may have passed on bringing Anderson up Sept. 1 because it’s still trying to sort out its priorities. An offseason trade is possible, and the same goes for moving one of Torkelson or Keith to clear first base. For now, though, it looks like the Tigers are leaning toward Lee, and he’s done enough to deserve that.
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