Tigers trade Justyn-Henry Malloy to Rays for cash considerations

A former top prospect is on the move.The Detroit Tigers traded designated hitter/outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy on Tuesday, Jan. 6, to the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old had been designated for assignment Dec. 21 by the Tigers, removing him from the 40-man roster. He would've completed the waiver process Wednesday had the Rays not acquired him in a trade.

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In December 2022, the Tigers – led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris – acquired Malloy (with left-handed reliever Jake Higginbotham) from the Atlanta Braves for reliever Joe Jiménez (and cash considerations).

The trade didn’t work out.

Malloy played in 123 games for the Tigers in the 2024-25 seasons, hitting .209 with nine home runs, 43 walks and 117 strikeouts, posting a .657 OPS. His struggles on defense at third base, first base and the corner outfield positions forced him into a designated hitter role. He primarily received opportunities at the plate against left-handed pitchers.

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This story will be updated.

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

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers trade Justyn-Henry Malloy to Tampa Bay Rays