In a move that highlights the ongoing efforts of the Detroit Tigers to strengthen their pitching depth, the team has recently signed four pitchers to minor league contracts. But here's where it gets interesting—these signings include both familiar faces and promising newcomers, each bringing their own stories and potential to the roster. If you're a baseball fan eager to understand how teams build depth and prepare for the upcoming season, this story might just hold some valuable insights.
Let's start with Jack Little and Sean Guenther. Both relievers are returning to Detroit after being non-tendered earlier in the offseason, as confirmed by the MLB.com transaction tracker. Their return suggests the Tigers see potential in these right-handed relievers, even if they didn’t make the roster last season.
Little, a 27-year-old (soon to be 28 in January), was claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates just a few weeks ago. He previously made two appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers this year and spent the majority of the season at the Triple-A level, posting a 4.06 ERA over 62 innings. His overall MLB experience is limited but provides some flexibility for Detroit's bullpen plans.
Guenther is the only one among the four who has actually pitched in a game for the Tigers. Over the past two seasons, he has thrown roughly 31 1/3 innings with a solid 2.30 ERA. However, his run prevention numbers have been buoyed by a lower strikeout rate, indicating he has been more about efficiency than overpowering hitters. Notably, he spent the latter part of 2025 recovering from hip surgery, missing the last three months of the season. The Tigers, leveraging the non-tender deadline to retain him on a minor league deal, seem optimistic about his recovery and future contribution.
Adding to the mix, Detroit also inked a deal with left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus. At 29, De Jesus is returning to major league affiliated baseball after spending two seasons in Korea, playing for teams like the Kiwoom Heroes and KT Wiz. During his time in South Korea, he was a regular starter, maintaining a sub-4.00 ERA across 30 starts each season and striking out 24% of batters faced—a solid performance translating into a profile of a dependable backend rotation option. His limited MLB exposure came in two games with the Miami Marlins in 2023, indicating he’s still proving himself at the highest level.
Finally, the Tigers brought in right-handed pitcher Cole Waites as a non-roster invitee. Waites last appeared in MLB between 2022 and 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, where he pitched eight innings and allowed seven runs. His career has been hampered by surgery—most recently elbow surgery late in the 2023 season—and he’s been sidelined for much of the past two years. With a career ERA of 4.46 in 43 Triple-A appearances, Waites remains a project with upside for Detroit.
These signings underscore a broader strategy: the Tigers are assembling a diverse pool of experienced and rehab-seeking pitchers, each with different backgrounds and levels of previous major league experience. While some, like Guenther, have tasted the league already, others like De Jesus are seeking resurgence or a fresh start in Detroit.
And this is the part most people miss—the true value in these minor league additions isn't just immediate performance but the layered potential they bring. Players coming back from injury or overseas often provide unexpected breakthroughs, and teams that recognize this early can reap significant rewards. But here’s a provocative question: Are these signings enough to truly bolster Detroit’s pitching staff, or are they too speculative to impact the upcoming season meaningfully? Share your thoughts—are teams better served focusing on proven talent, or is this cautious approach the smarter bet for sustained success?
