Ty Madden, Dylan Smith Optioned to Triple-A Toledo in Second Spring Cut

The Detroit Tigers optioned right‑handers Ty Madden and Dylan Smith to Triple‑A Toledo on March 1 as part of the second round of spring training cuts, a move that preserves roster flexibility while keeping two near‑major‑league arms ready for recall. Because both pitchers are on the Tigers’ 40‑man roster, the club was required to option them to Toledo rather than reassign them directly to minor‑league camp, and both will travel with Detroit for a two‑game exhibition trip to the Dominican Republic.

Madden, the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Texas, is 26 and will open the season in Toledo’s rotation after missing all of 2025 with a right rotator cuff strain that did not require surgery. Madden advanced three levels in 2024, throwing 17 2/3 innings at Double‑A Erie, 79 innings at Triple‑A Toledo and 23 innings in MLB following his August 2024 debut. In six big‑league appearances (one start) he posted a 4.30 ERA with eight walks and 17 strikeouts across 23 innings. Tigers manager AJ Hinch framed the decision around workload: “For Ty, he’s got to get to pitching every five days. As we get Justin Verlander and Framber on board here, we’re going to run out of innings to give him.” Multiple outlets project Madden as a likely call‑up candidate during 2026 should the Tigers need rotation depth.

Smith, the No. 74 pick in 2021 out of Alabama, is 25 and will report to Toledo as a relief option after making his MLB debut in June 2025. Over 13 big‑league innings in seven appearances last season he allowed two earned runs on six hits and five walks, a performance that equates to a 1.38 ERA and included four strikeouts, by the combined reporting of RotoWire and the Detroit Free Press. In the minors last year Smith posted a 1.80 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 20 innings for Erie and a 3.65 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings for Toledo. Hinch acknowledged Smith’s proximity to the big league club: “As for Dylan, he was on the outside looking in to make our team out of camp but he’s done a lot of really good things. He’s on the right track to help this team. Like I told him in our meeting, we’re not afraid to make roster moves early in the season and he’s going to be competing for those callups immediately.” RotoWire added that Smith will join the big‑league group for the Dominican Republic trip, then report to minor‑league camp in Florida upon return, and will likely need to pitch well at Toledo to earn another look.

The moves are among the first healthy cuts of spring and leave 59 players remaining in MLB camp, not including two players on the 60‑day injured list, with Opening Day 25 days away on March 26 against the San Diego Padres. Detroit Sports Nation framed the optioning as a deliberate roster‑management play: decision signals that Detroit is prioritizing roster flexibility early in camp while keeping depth arms ready in Toledo. Injuries, workload management, or early‑season needs could quickly put both pitchers back in the major‑league mix as the season unfolds.