Injuries & Moves: Tigers tender contracts to 7 players
The Tigers' injuries and roster moves page will be updated throughout the offseason. Detroit's 40-man Major League roster is currently full.
LATEST NEWS
Nov. 22: Tigers agree to one-year contrats with INFs Zach McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez
McKinstry's deal is for for $1.65 million, while Ib¨¢?ez's is for $1.4 million. Detroit also tendered contracts to the rest of their arbitration-eligible players, including AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Jake Rogers, Will Vest, Jason Foley, Matt Vierling and Beau Brieske. The team's only player non-tendered leading into Friday night¡¯s deadline was right-hander Wilmer Flores, a former MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect. More >>
Nov. 22: LHP Bailey Horn claimed off waivers from Red Sox
The 26-year-old southpaw, a former fifth-round pick by the White Sox, bounced around the Minors before getting his first big league stint with 18 games out of the Boston bullpen down the stretch in 2024. He allowed 13 runs on 22 hits over 18 innings, walking 10 and striking out 13, but he showed potential with a high-spin sweeper that features above-average movement. He also throws a mid-90s fastball, while mixing in an occasional curveball and cutter.
Nov. 20: IF/OF Jahmai Jones signed to Minor League contract
Jones¡¯ signing, which includes a non-roster invite to Spring Training, gives the Tigers depth at several positions along with an athletic right-handed hitter. The former Angel, Oriole, Brewer and Yankee hit .238 with a home run and four RBIs in 33 games for New York this past season, but batted .304 with an .880 OPS at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .302 with an .883 OPS against lefties between the two stops. He has played everywhere but shortstop and catcher in his pro career.
Jones comes from a football family with Detroit connections. His older brother, T.J. Jones, was a wide receiver for the Lions from 2015 to 2018, catching 64 passes for 814 yards and four touchdowns. His late father, Andre Jones, was a linebacker for the Lions in 1992.
Nov. 19: RHPs Chase Lee, Tyler Mattison and Tyler Owens selected to 40-man roster; IF/OF Eddys Leonard and RHPs Ricky Vanasco and Brendan White designated for assignment
All three roster additions are relievers who would¡¯ve been attractive options for teams in the Rule 5 Draft had they not been protected. Lee and Owens came from the Rangers system in July trades for Andrew Chafin and Carson Kelly, respectively, and showed an uptick in form at Triple-A Toledo. Mattison missed the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, but dominated hitters in 2023 with a 2.41 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 59 2/3 innings between Double-A Erie and High-A West Michigan.
Leonard, the Tigers¡¯ No. 29 prospect, made a solid impression in Spring Training but an oblique injury in April set the tone for a frustrating season that left him out of Detroit¡¯s plans. He hit .263/.326/.455 in 67 games at Triple-A Toledo while playing everywhere but left field and catcher. He¡¯s out of Minor League options, so the Tigers would¡¯ve had to designate him for assignment next spring if he didn¡¯t make the Opening Day roster. White has a high-spin arsenal that propelled him from a 26th-round pick in 2019 to 33 games out of the Tigers bullpen in 2023, but pitched in just eight games in the system this year due to injury, including a hydrodissection procedure to address a nerve issue in August.
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Alex Lange (lat surgery)
Expected return: Possibly Spring Training
Lange has progressed without setbacks since undergoing surgery for a torn latissimus dorsi tendon in June, according to president of baseball operations Scott Harris. The Tigers are not yet ready to determine whether he could be ready to pitch in Spring Training. (Last updated: Nov. 5)
INF Javier Báez (right hip surgery)
Expected return: Possibly Opening Day 2025
B¨¢ez had season-ending arthroscopic right hip surgery on Sept. 3 and returned to Detroit for rehab work at Comerica Park. He is expected to take part in Spring Training workouts with a chance to be ready for Opening Day. (Last updated: Oct. 14)
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (left hip, right forearm)
Expected return: 2025
Gipson-Long began a throwing program the week of Sept. 30, about five months after he underwent Tommy John surgery. It¡¯s an encouraging development towards getting him back to pitching next year. (Last updated: Sept. 27)