How A.J. Hinch Explained Tigers Minor League Assignment to Dylan Smith
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Some of the most difficult conversations in baseball happen at the end of spring training.
That’s when a general manager or manager must tell a young rising star that they’re heading back to the minors for more at-bats. Or they must tell a veteran looking for one last chance that they’re not going to get it there.
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One way to get around that is to make those decisions earlier. But, in the case of Dylan Smith and the Detroit Tigers, it may not be about ending his time in Detroit.
Per Lynn Henning, who covers the Tigers for the Detroit News, the franchise sent Smith, who made his MLB debut last season, back to minor league camp. That isn’t uncommon in March. What is a bit uncommon is what manager A.J. Hinch said he told Smith about the move.
A.J. Hinch on Dylan Smith
Smith was the Tigers’ third-round pick in the 2021 MLB draft out of Alabama. He got his first taste of the Majors last season, as he went 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in seven relief appearances. He struck out four and walked five in 13 innings. But batters only hit .150 off him. He’s on the 40-man roster and he came into spring training with a chance to win a opening-day roster spot. Hinch told Henning that Smith has a “dynamic fastball.”
In 2.1 spring training innings he gave up four hits, but no runs. He struck out and didn’t walk a hitter, something that was a clear issue in the Majors last season. Batters hit .364 against him, but he worked around the damage. Yet he’s on his way to minor league camp, as of Sunday.
What did Hinch tell Smith, according to Henning?
“We're not opposed to making roster decisions early in spring,” Hinch said.
Last season he threw a four-seam fastball about 50% of the time and averaged 94.8 mph, just below the average for right-handed pitchers last season. But the Tigers need more fastball throwers in the arsenal. The decision likely boils down to the hits allowed, the make-up of the bullpen or the desire to get Smith more work.
It is not uncommon for Major League teams to begin assigning minor league players to those camps at the end of February or the beginning of March. It's an opportunity for the Tigers to give those players more playing time and more coaching than they might get in Major League camp.
It’s a bit uncommon to send a pitcher like Smith to minor league spring training. But it doesn’t damage his chances of making it to the Majors again this season. The same goes for the other right-handed pitchers the Tigers sent to minor league spring training on Friday — Phil Bickford, Dugan Darnell, Tyler Owens and Troy Watson.
Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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