Tigers trade outfielder to Rays with latest offseason move

The Detroit Tigers made the move to trade outfielder Justin-Henry Malloy to the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, the Tigers announced.

Malloy, 25, was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. In 2022, he was traded to Detroit. Malloy would make his MLB debut in 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, he played in 123 big league games, slashing .209/.311/.346. In 2025 at Triple-A, Malloy hit .322/.453/.502 across 72 contests.

He is a player with potential, and the Rays could certainly use the offense. Malloy was designated for assignment by Detroit in December, ultimately leading to Tuesday’s trade.

The Tigers’ decision to move on from Malloy is fairly surprising, but they needed to make room on the 40-man roster for Kyle Finnegan — which was why they designated Malloy for assignment in the first place.

The Tigers may still look to make more moves. Detroit could attempt to trade for or sign a star. With that being said, Tarik Skubal trade rumors have also swirled throughout the offseason — although they have quieted down in recent weeks. Nevertheless, a Skubal trade remains a possibility.

The Rays could also look to trade for a star. The Malloy acquisition will boost their outfield depth, but Tampa Bay still may try to add more ahead of the 2026 MLB season. They are not especially known for making big offseason moves. However, the Rays have been linked to Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte in trade rumors.

Both the Tigers and Rays will be teams worth keeping an eye on over the next few weeks of the offseason.