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Tigers Steal Intriguing Young Outfielder Away from Division Rival

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Michael Brauner | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 1:39 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers bolstered their outfield depth over the weekend by acquiring a former minor league standout from one of their hated division rivals.

As first reported by Jason Beck of MLB.com, Detroit acquired Tyler Gentry on a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Toledo after he was released by the Kansas City Royals at the end of spring training.

Gentry, a former University of Alabama standout who was selected in the third round of the 2020 MLB draft, spent five seasons in the Kansas City organization but was never able to take that next step to becoming a regular big leaguer. He made his Major League debut last season, but played just three games.

Gentry Could Contribute to Tigers at Some Point This Season

Though Gentry did not do enough at Triple-A in 2025 to keep his job, ultimately, he is still just 27 years old and could develop into someone who is able to contribute at the big league level. In 86 Triple-A games last year, he slashed just .206/.284/.371, and the numbers were similar this spring.

With that being said, injuries occur and Detroit needed to add some more outfield depth with Parker Meadows seemingly set to miss an extended amount of time following his scary injury.

There was a time when the Royals had a whole lot of hope in Gentry's development, slashing .253/.370/.421 in Triple-A in 2023 and posting similar numbers in 2024. Unfortunately, he did not take that next step and stalled out a bit, but perhaps a fresh start with a new organization could help him reach these levels again.

Tigers Outfield Depth Took Hit Last Week

With Meadows on the shelf, Detroit did recall Wenceel Perez, but this left Toledo shorthanded for the time being. With Max Clark looking as strong as he has this year as well, a call up may be inevitable there which makes the presence of someone like Gentry necessary.

Though Gentry likely will not play for Detroit barring a huge uptick in performance and/or additional significant outfield injuries for the team, he is important depth that every team needs in order to get through the marathon that is an MLB season.

He comes as someone worth keeping an eye on over the next several weeks as the Tigers prepare for life without Meadows and try to keep winning following hitting a stride this past weekend.

This article first appeared on Detroit Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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