The Tigers announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Troy Watson from Triple-A Toledo and immediately optioned him to Triple-A. It seemed that Watson had interest from a team overseas, which prompted the Tigers to add him to the 40-man roster, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. To clear 40-man roster space for Watson, the team has moved righty Will Vest to the 60-day injured list.
Vest was on the IL earlier this season for right lateral forearm inflammation. After being activated on May 17th, he posted an ugly 6.00 ERA in his next 14 appearances. Vest went down again on July 1st, this time for right posterior elbow inflammation. Manager A.J. Hinch later told reporters, including McCosky, that Vest had a stress fracture in his elbow which would not require surgery. His current placement is retroactive to June 28th, so today’s transfer to the 60-day IL will keep Vest on the shelf until late August in the best case scenario.
Even without surgery, the move is hardly a welcome update for Vest and the Tigers. The team is 46-52 entering play today and just 3.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. The rotation, led by a now-healthy Tarik Skubal, has a 3.43 ERA that ranks third-best in the Majors, along with a fifth-best 10.3 fWAR.
In contrast, the bullpen’s 1.5 fWAR makes them a middle-of-the-pack group and a target for upgrades if the team decides to buy at the deadline. Enmanuel De Jesus and Tyler Holton have been solid, if underwhelming, but Drew Anderson has a 4.62 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. Kyle Finnegan‘s expected numbers put him about two runs higher than his actual 2.11 ERA, mostly thanks to his well-below-average strikeout and walk numbers.
In between injuries, Vest has a 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 innings this year. While he technically doesn’t have enough innings to qualify, he’s still been the Tigers’ third-best reliever by fWAR. His strikeout and walk rates are both better than average, while Vest’s 61.8% ground ball rate is fifth-best among relievers with at least 20 innings. Detroit can expect Vest’s run prevention numbers to improve with better health, given that he ran a 2.93 ERA in 187 1/3 innings from 2023-25. Rather, they simply may not get him back in time to make a meaningful difference on their playoff odds.
Watson, 29, was a late-round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2018. He reached Triple-A in 2023 and started there again in 2024, when he was traded to the Tigers in a cash deal. Watson had a 2.75 ERA and a strong 47.4% ground ball rate between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, and he’s followed that up with a 3.33 ERA in 46 Triple-A innings this season, despite middling strikeout numbers. Watson will be making his major league debut if and when he gets recalled from Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Should’ve just DFAed him. Guy is horrible.
Yet he’s accomplished more than you ever will.
Plus everyone pitcher is horrible when they are hurt. 🤷♂️
Im guessing he has been hurt for a while because he’s been great the two years previous. Hope he gets it sorted out.
Ooh yeah, fan petulance is great reason to DFA a major league pitcher.
Fetters can fix him
Watson had a ton of interest overseas it seemed like almost every NPB and KBO club had some level of interest in him and were fighting to get him. Looks like he will stay stateside at least for now.
Would not be surprised if Hanuwa was looking at him to replace Wilkel Hernandez given he’s been put on waivers in the KBO
Thinking about going to a Detroit game with bald guy that catches the home runs then you tubes them.
It better not be Zack Hample I’ve never liked that guy he is way over obsessed with catching baseballs.
It is, and we don’t give them to kids after we catch them either. Fame is more important to us than children.
Pretty soon that fame will lead to a slider with cheese being served at Comerica in your honor.
Hopefully so you can give him a Harley Race knee lift.
Watson was nearly called up at the end of last season. He’s worked hard over the years and deserves a shot at some point.
I keep thinking this is the Troy Watson who was a reliever with Pitsburgh. Not the same dude. Looks interesting.
With all those strikeouts I wonder if they shouldn’t use Anderson in a different role, like slot him in as a backend guy for short stints and let him amp up his pitches a couple MPH. He can’t do worse than Vest did there. I like DeJesus a lot since he got over the early season struggles and i think he’s a keeper. Then there is Jobe. Will he be a power arm in the pen or starting and who gets shifted out if he starts? I’d say pen until 2027.
Use those three the right way and that could transform the pen in the second half.
He won’t be built up enough to handle a starter’s role this year, so likely the bullpen. Next year, without Skubal, Mize, and Flaherty, a job in the rotation is his for the taking.
They’re building Jobe up right now. But the Tigers already have six healthy starters; Jobe could end up in the bullpen rest of the year.
Part of it depends on if a starter (not necessarily Skubal) is traded. I would still go with Montero in the rotation first. Jobe could be a two inning flamethrower while he builds for next season.
Jobe is likely in the pen this year, unless it’s late in the season and the Tigers are out of it and they want to start stretching him out for a rotation spot next year, if there is a next year.
Montero should never be sent down again. He’s earned a permanent spot on the staff, be it reliever or starter.
Tony Watson was the pirate
I’m easily confused 😉
Drew Anderson really stinks. Gutless.
He probably appreciates being kept on the 60-day IL as an MLB level player because it’s likely that his pension Will Vest.
The first step to getting on the 26 man roster is to get a spot on the 40 man roster. It can not be understated there are only 14 spots for players that are not on the major league roster. You can not be on the 26 man roster and not be on the 40 man roster. Holding a spot on the 40 man roster can be very difficult. Naturally, some players are added to both at the same time. I expect now that he is on the 40 man roster that he willed be called up soon.