Tigers Add More Infield Depth in Powerful Former Mets Top Prospect
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The Detroit Tigers have made a move to add some more depth into the organization in the infield.
According to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the team signed former New York Mets highly-rated prospect Luke Ritter to a minor league deal, and he will be reporting to Triple-A Toledo.
It is unclear if this comes with a spot on the 40-man roster, although it likely could be in preparation for Zach McKinstry to hit the injured list after he got hurt this week.
Ritter may or may not see action with Detroit this season, but he has been an extremely productive Triple-A player for the Mets over the last couple of years.
Ritter Provides Tigers with Depth in the Infield
While the numbers for Ritter were not great in Triple-A last year, back in 2024 he slashed .257/.369/.480 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI across 134 games. He has yet to make his big league debut yet and is no longer a prospect at the age of 29, but demonstrated production is key.
It would likely take a couple more injuries for him to make that debut in Detroit, but with Jace Jung and/or Trei Cruz likely coming up from Toledo to replace McKinstry, this would slot Ritter right in at Triple-A.
Having played over 600 games in the minor leagues, Ritter is a player who has a massive wealth of experience and can also serve as a mentor to younger players who are trying to take that next step as prospects.
Tigers Infield is Mostly Set as of Now
Detroit has had a nice resurgence in the infield this season with Kevin McGonigle obviously blossoming into an every day player alongside either Javier Baez, Colt Keith or McKinstry on the left side.
Between Gleyber Torres and Spencer Torkelson, the right side is largely locked down as well, but as the Tigers are now seeing with McKinstry, they are just an injury or two away from someone like Ritter all of the sudden becoming very important.
Ritter is someone worth keeping an eye on over the coming months to see if he can do enough at Triple-A to be one of the first names called upon if and when the next injury situation happens. If he's producing, he could wind up making his MLB debut this season for Detroit and holding down the fort.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.