When the Detroit Tigers designated Justyn-Henry Malloy for assignment, the message wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t just about Malloy. It was about space — and who may be about to lose theirs.
Malloy’s DFA was likely the first shoe dropping in a 40-man roster crunch the Tigers have been pretending they can manage quietly. And if you’re looking for the next names staring down that same uncomfortable reality, two stand out immediately.
Both of these players were once framed as key pieces of the future. Both are now caught in the brutal middle ground between prospect and priority — the most dangerous place to be in a front office obsessed with flexibility.