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DETROIT – The Tigers Friday avoided arbitration with three players and tendered contracts to eight other arbitration-eligible players.

The one casualty, utility infielder Andy Ibanez, a vital right-handed hitting option off the bench the last three seasons, was not tendered a contract and is now a free agent. That move was foreshadowed earlier in the week when second baseman Gleyber Torres accepted the $22 million qualifying offer to return to the Tigers in 2026. Ibanez, entering his age-33 season, not only lost playing time at second base, he also lost at-bats against left-handed pitching to Jahmai Jones last season.

The non-tender writing was on the wall.

Ibanez’s pinch-hit, three-run double off Houston’s Josh Hader in Game 2 of the wild c

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