The Tigers' unsurprising but still brutal decision to non-tender Andy Ibáñez — who kept the Tigers' miracle 2024 rolling with a game winning, bases-clearing double against Josh Hader in Game 2 of the Wild Card — at the November deadline left a small but pivotal role vacated. Ibáñez was let go because he no longer did the one thing that he was supposed to be best at: mash against lefties.
Jahmai Jones had a great half-season or so with the Tigers after coming up to replace Ibáñez, who was demoted to Triple-A in June. He hit .