OF Slater exercises release clause in Tigers deal

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Outfielder Austin Slater has exercised the release clause in the minor league contract he had signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Slater's contract enabled him to get released if he wasn't going to make Detroit's season-opening roster.

Slater, 33, hit .216 with a .270 on-base percentage, five homers and 13 RBIs in 65 combined games with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees last season.

He has batted .248 with a .336 on-base percentage, 45 homers and 184 RBIs in a nine-year career that has included stints with the San Francisco Giants (2017-24), Cincinnati Reds (2024), Baltimore Orioles (2024), White Sox (2025) and Yankees (2025).