Detroit Tigers' A.J. Hinch planning for 'optionality' at third base in 2024

It won't be free-agent Matt Chapman.

It probably won't be a player acquired in a trade.

The Detroit Tigers are planning for "optionality" at third base in the 2024 season, manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday on the New York Post's podcast with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. He specifically said playing time at third base has been carved out for Matt Vierling, Andy Ibáñez and Zach McKinstry.

"There are questions, for sure," Hinch told Heyman and Sherman. "I think one thing we're trying to establish is that we're going to give ourselves optionality at some of these positions because we'll be able to piece it together and maybe have a better player than one singular guy."

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Colt Keith, a 22-year-old prospect who recently signed a long-term contract extension, will play second base. He is expected to be an everyday contributor in the lineup.

Vierling, 27, should be the primary third baseman coming out of spring training.

The Tigers switched Vierling from the outfield to third base at the beginning of August last season, likely in preparation for more playing time at third base in 2024. There's an outfield logjam Parker Meadows, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Mark Canha and Justyn-Henry Malloy.

Vierling hit .260 against right-handed pitchers and .264 against left-handed pitchers last season. He probably won't be an above-average contributor at the plate without hitting for more power, which he has been trying to do for his entire career.

"Matt Vierling is going to play a little bit of third base," Hinch said. "We're talking about him as a third baseman, he played center field in the World Series a couple of years ago. He can go from the infield to the outfield."

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All three players — Vierling, Ibáñez and McKinstry — have experience in the infield and outfield. Hinch raved about Ibáñez, a 30-year-old who responded from a bad start to last season by hitting .294 with 10 home runs in his final 87 games, beginning May 30.

Ibáñez, who bats from the right side of the plate, hit .295 with a .939 OPS across 95 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers during that stretch.

"He was a bonafide player that I could play against every lefty whenever we wanted," Hinch said. "Zach McKinstry is going to get some time over there (at third base) as a left-handed utility player, move around the field. There was a stretch in time where he handled right-handed pitching, so that sets up a natural platoon for just those two."

Hinch noted the natural platoon of Ibáñez against left-handed pitchers and McKinstry against right-handed pitchers, but McKinstry struggled at the plate last season. He hit .301 with an .865 OPS over 26 games in May, but in the other five months, he hit .217 with a .607 OPS over 122 games.

McKinstry, though, was a Gold Glove finalist in the utility category. Both McKinstry and Ibáñez started more time at second base than third base last season because Vierling and Nick Maton worked at the hot corner.

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Expect Vierling, Ibáñez and McKinstry to be in the mix for playing time at third base to begin the season, while Keith holds down second base. Prospect Jace Jung likely won't break camp with the Tigers, but he could become the everyday third baseman by the end of the season.

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Hinch never mentioned Maton, an out-of-options player who began last season as the Tigers' primary third baseman but flamed out in that role before the All-Star break because of poor offense and poor defense.

"I think, in some ways, we have to get away from the thought that every single position has to have the born-and-bred player right there, right now," Hinch said, "and leave some optionality for things to emerge."

Three infield spots are locked in: Keith at second base, Spencer Torkelson at first base and Javier Báez at shortstop. Báez, 31, hit .222 with nine home runs in 136 games last season.

The Tigers need a bounce-back season from Báez in 2024.

"We need Javy to be good," Hinch said. "I think his offseason has been productive. We've sent some coaches down to Puerto Rico to check in on him, and we sent a trainer down there. He's done his workouts. He looks like he's in good shape. I'm going to see him in a couple of weeks. He's been interactive in the offseason. He knows it's a big spot."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' A.J. Hinch's plan for 3B in 2024: 'Optionality'