The Tigers have signed Tanner Rainey to a minor league deal, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Rainey has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo to act as a depth arm in the organization’s bullpen mix.
Initially signed to a minors deal by the Pirates during the offseason, Rainey posted a 10.57 ERA over 7 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh at the MLB level. The Pirates first selected Rainey to their active roster in early May, then designated him for assignment in early June. Rainey cleared waivers, elected free agency rather than an outright assignment, then quickly re-signed with the Bucs on a fresh minor league contract.
Best known for his six-year run with the Nationals, Rainey posted generally solid numbers in Washington, highlighted by his contributions to the 2019 World Series championship team. Rainey had a 3.30 ERA over 30 innings as recently as the 2022 season, but after a Tommy John surgery cost him virtually all of the 2023 campaign, Rainey hasn’t looked the same.
The righty has a 5.52 ERA across 58 2/3 innings since the start of the 2024 season, as well as an unimpressive 19.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. Control has been an issue for Rainey even in the better times of his eight-year MLB career, though he had been able to balance out his walks with plenty of strikeouts in the past. Rainey averaged 97.1mph on his fastball prior to his TJ surgery, but that has dropped to 94.1mph post-surgery.
At Triple-A Indianapolis this season, Rainey’s walk rate is still on the high side at 12.6%, but he has a 28.4% strikeout rate and a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings and 17 appearances. That is some evidence that the 32-year-old still has some of his old form left, and the Tigers can now gauge for themselves if Rainey can translate his Triple-A numbers into some renewed success in the majors. Detroit’s bullpen has been shaky in recent weeks, and while the team is likely to target some more prominent relievers at the deadline, there’s no risk in taking a flier on Rainey on a minor league commitment.
Season saved?
Saved? Huh? Still have the best record in baseball and they haven’t made trade deadline acquisitions yet
it’s called sarcasm
If Charlie Finley was forced, John Fisher should also be forced to sell the A’s after the many teardowns he planned and wanted too
He definitely knows how to make it rain
Nowadays we tend to assume everyone comes back from TJ, if not good as new, at least relatively effective. But every so often it just doesn’t happen.
Or it just takes some time.
Typical cheap signing by the Tigers. Chris Illitch is a terrible owner and Harris is a terrible president.
Is there an expensive player out there to sign that you were expecting in the middle of July?
You really believe this guy is going to help?
It’s a minor league signing, you’re the one acting like it’s going to help
I don’t care if it helps or not. It’s a potentially meaningless, zero risk signing. If for any reason the player becomes useful; cool. If not, it won’t matter… to anyone…except apparently, you.
David who?
What would you do? We get to reference your recommendations when it doesn’t work.
He actually wasn’t as horrible as it looks for the Pirates. He had one really bad outing, and the Bucs bullpen was deep at the time. But Rainey was behind in the count to just about every hitter. You can’t do that and stick around.
Typical Scott Harris. Always trying to catch lightning in a bottle with reclamation projects.
And if they don’t work, he just throws them back. That’s just being smart with a mid-market team.
It’s not smart at all. Anyone can do that. Smart is signing someone with talent or trading for someone with talent. I can’t wait for the Tigers to let Skubal walk. People like you will go nuts.
I don’t think the Tigers would get rid of Skubal any time soon, like with Tanner Rainey, you act like this minor league signing is the death knell for the team.
High SO rate and low BA against.
He should marry p*rn star, Stormy Daniels. She could be Stormy Rainey.
Or she could marry Gale Weathers from Scream and be Stormy Weathers.
-Y.A.W.N.-
Or he could have been proactive and already have acquired a legitimate major league bullpen arm that could have been helping the team for the past 2-3 weeks instead of waiting until the last second of the trade deadline. Makes no sense.
You have to be proactive and aggressive. Don’t settle for the used car lot. Go for sticker price. That doesn’t necessarily mean do something stupid, but they need two bullpen arms in my opinion.
Makes perfect sense. If you are the team selling, you wait as long as possible to have multiple teams bidding and increase your return. It takes 2 teams willing to do the deal
Get rid of Kahnle
Don’t have to get rid of him, just quit depending on him in tight situations