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Tigers Sign Kevin Newman To Minor League Deal

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The Tigers have signed infielder Kevin Newman to a minor league deal, as noted this evening by Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Newman has already reported to Triple-A Toledo and is in tonight’s lineup for the Mud Hens.

Newman, 32, was a first-round pick by the Pirates back in 2015 who made his big league debut during the 2018 season. He appeared in just 31 games during that first taste of the majors and didn’t hit much at all, but earned a regular role with the Pirates in his first full big league season the following year and hit quite well across 130 games. Then 25 years old, Newman impressed with an above-average .308/.353/.446 slash line (109 wRC+) in 531 plate appearances as Pittsburgh’s starting shortstop. Unfortunately, that excellent rookie season proved to be an outlier. Over his next three years with the organization, Newman hit just .240/.283/.323 (64 wRC+) in 270 games.

Newman’s lackluster work following his rookie campaign led the Pirates to part ways with Newman following the 2022 season. In November of that year, he was shipped to the Reds in a minor trade just before the non-tender deadline. With Cincinnati in 2023 and Arizona in 2024, Newman showed a form similar to the one he showed with the Pirates during the 2022 campaign as he hit a below average .267/.311/.370 (84 wRC+) with strong enough infield defense to be a quality bench bat and role player. His value was further augmented by his ability to put up respectable numbers (including a 114 wRC+ from 2022 to ’24) against left-handed pitching.

That solid work in a part-time role over the past few years was clearly enough to convince the Angels to sign Newman to a one-year, $2.75MM guarantee this past offseason. He was part of the club’s infield mix alongside a number of newcomers like Yoan Moncada, Scott Kingery, Tim Anderson, and J.D. Davis. The majority of those players are no longer on Anaheim’s roster, and Newman himself was designated for assignment on the day of the trade deadline after the Angels acquired Oswald Peraza in a trade with the Yankees. That DFA came after Newman appeared in just 33 games with the club and hit a paltry .202/.209/.272 (27 wRC+) in the 116 plate appearance he received during his time in California.

That weak offense wasn’t enough to keep a job on Anaheim’s big league staff, but Newman has now attracted interest from the Tigers as a minor league depth piece. By joining his new organization prior to the start of September, Newman remains eligible to play in the postseason for the Tigers in the event he gets added to the roster at some point. Javier Baez, Zach McKinstry, and Trey Sweeney have split time at shortstop this year for Detroit, but it’s possible that Newman could make his way into that group if one of that trio suffers an injury or the Tigers decide they’d prefer to get both Baez and McKinstry more time at other positions.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Ragans, Lee

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Some of baseball’s top prospects have made their MLB debuts within the last week, but don’t expect any of the Tigers’ top minor leaguers to be appearing in 2025.  In an interview with MLB Network this past week (hat tip to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press), Tigers GM Jon Greenberg said a call-up of shortstop prospect Kevin McGonigle is likely not “on the radar right now,” and Greenberg also downplayed the possibility of Max Clark or Josue Briceno arriving in the majors.

“They’ve only been in Double-A for a month.  It’s been fewer than 30 games,” the GM said.  “Really excited with what Kevin has done, really excited with what Max has done, and some of the other guys in our system. But right now, the focus is on their development and getting the reps to continue to take those steps forward.”

MLB Pipeline and Baseball America each rank McGonigle as the second-best prospect in baseball, Clark ninth, and Briceno also in a prominent top-100 spot (Pipeline has him 32nd, BA 54th).  As Greenberg noted, none of the group has much experience even at the Double-A level, though McGonigle and Clark have both been on fire at the plate since their call-up.  While it seems like a further promotion to Triple-A could be possible before the 2025 season is through, any of these top prospects would very likely have to further excel in Toledo, and then the Tigers would have to feel confident enough to install any of these rookies right into the extra pressure of a postseason push.  There isn’t much urgency for Detroit to make such an aggressive prospect promotion, as the Tigers have a 10.5-game division lead and look to be cruising towards the AL Central crown.

More from within the division…

  • A rotator cuff strain sent Cole Ragans to the injured list in early June, but the Royals southpaw seems to be making good progress towards a late-season return.  Manager Matt Quatraro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that things went “really well” during a 30-pitch bullpen for Ragans on Thursday, which was Ragans’ fourth pen session.  The next step is an “up-down” session today.  Since Ragans will surely need at least couple of minor league rehab outings as the final stage of his recovery process, it would seem like the second week of September would be the absolute earliest Ragans might be able to return to the K.C. rotation.  While a timeline is still very fluid, getting Ragans back would be a late boost to a Royals team that has won 14 of its last 22 games to surge back into the wild card race.
  • The White Sox called catcher Korey Lee up from Triple-A yesterday, creating what is technically a bit of a logjam since Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero are already both on the active roster.  However, manager Will Venable told reporters (including Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times) that having a third catcher available gives the Sox the ability to have both Teel and Quero in the lineup at catcher and DH, without worrying that an injury would leave the team short-handed during a game.  Naturally the White Sox want to see as much as they can from both Teel and Quero in their rookie seasons, as the former top prospects both appear to be key pieces of Chicago’s rebuild, even if there’s still a lingering question about who will eventually emerge as the regular catcher.

Tigers Designate Ryan Kreidler For Assignment

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The Tigers announced Friday that they’ve designated utilityman Ryan Kreidler for assignment. His spot on the roster goes to lefty Drew Sommers, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Toledo. Detroit optioned righty Alex Lange to clear an active roster spot for Sommers, whose promotion was first reported yesterday.

Kreidler, has seen big league time in parts of four major league seasons, including 2025. He’s played five different positions — second base, shortstop, third base, left field, center field — for Detroit dating back to 2022 but has never hit enough to play his way into a prominent role. He’s a lifetime .138/.208/.176 hitter in the majors, though that anemic slash line has come with scattershot playing time and in a sample of only 211 plate appearances.

Kreidler would’ve been out of minor league options in 2026, so an eventual removal from the 40-man roster felt inevitable, whether it be during the season or early in the winter. He’s been a much better hitter in Triple-A, where he’s spent parts of five seasons and turned in a .239./360/.421 batting line in 1165 plate appearances. Kreidler has been better than average in four of his five Triple-A seasons, but he struggled considerably there in 201 plate appearances last year, which has weighed down his rate stats in the upper minors a bit.

The Tigers can place Kreidler on waivers at any point in the next five days now that he’s been designated for assignment. He’ll be available to the league’s other 29 teams, with waiver priority based on the reverse standings (worst record to best record). He hasn’t been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of MLB service, so if he goes unclaimed he’ll stick with the Tigers and head to Triple-A as a depth option.

Tigers To Select Drew Sommers

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The Tigers are calling up left-hander Drew Sommers, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit will need to make corresponding moves to open space for him on the active and 40-man rosters.

Sommers, now 25, was an 11th-round pick of the Rays in 2022. He was flipped to the Tigers back in February with Mason Englert going the other way. Sommers is a pure reliever and hasn’t generated a lot of prospect hype but he has continued to put up good numbers in the minors. Overall, he has thrown 154 minor league innings with a 3.10 earned run average. His 29.8% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate are both good figures and he has also racked up huge amounts of ground balls.

That includes this year. Since coming over to the Tigers in that deal, he has thrown 57 innings, split between Double-A and Triple-A. He has a 2.53 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 63.8% ground ball rate.

He will now get a chance to try to carry those numbers over at the major league level. The Tigers currently have Tyler Holton as the only lefty in the bullpen, so Sommers will double the club’s southpaw contingent back there.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images

Tigers Hoping For Alex Cobb To Return In Relief

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The Tigers plan to use Alex Cobb in a multi-inning relief role if he’s able to make it back from the injured list, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (link via Chris McCosky of The Detroit News). Cobb signed a one-year deal to work as a starter but has missed the entire season due to left hip issues.

“We shrunk down the expectations internally on how long he can go in a game,” Hinch told McCosky and others. “We’re trying to see how the two- and three-inning stints go and how he bounces back from that.”

It has long since passed the point for the Tigers to get the return they expected on a $15MM free agent investment. At this point, they’d welcome any contributions from the 37-year-old. Cobb has been on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo for the past week. He has worked between two and three innings in each of his first two appearances. He’s expected to make his next appearance this weekend.

Rehab assignments for pitchers can last up to 30 days. Using Cobb in a relief role could get him back before the end of that window. Speculatively speaking, the Tigers could view September 1 as a target for his reinstatement. That’s when active rosters expand from 26 to 28 and teams are permitted to carry a 14th pitcher.

That’d at least give Cobb a few weeks to audition for a spot on the playoff roster. Detroit’s bullpen remains arguably its biggest weakness. They’ve gotten excellent work out of deadline pickup Kyle Finnegan, while righty Will Vest has been very good all season. Tyler Holton is established as their best option from the left side.

The middle relief group remains very much in flux. Cobb and deadline acquisition Paul Sewald could each return late in the regular season. One of Jack Flaherty or Chris Paddack could move to the bullpen once the postseason begins and teams shrink their rotations in short series. The club also hasn’t closed the door on Reese Olson pitching in October, but that’s a long shot after he sustained a significant shoulder strain at the end of July.

Cobb missed almost all of last season because of issues in his right hip. He began the year with the Giants and was on the injured list through the trade deadline. The Guardians acquired him while he was rehabbing. He made three regular season starts and pitched twice in the postseason with Cleveland. A lower back injury knocked him out of the playoffs during the AL Championship Series.

Tigers’ Ty Madden Not Expected To Return In 2025

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Tigers right-hander Ty Madden won’t pitch competitively this year, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive) yesterday. While the Tigers have announced that Madden is working on a return-to-play throwing progression, Hinch revealed that the goal of that program is to set him up for a “productive offseason” rather than to try and get him back on the mound for game action before the year ends.

Madden, 25, was a first-round pick by the Tigers back in 2021, drafted 32nd overall after the club took Jackson Jobe with the third overall pick. He was a quick riser through the minors who made his big league debut in his third professional season after entering the 2024 campaign ranked as the club’s #2 pitching prospect behind Jobe. The right-hander’s debut came last year even in spite of him struggling badly at the Triple-A level with a 7.97 ERA in 18 starts, though his strikeout and walk rates were quite good despite those inflated run prevention numbers. He made six appearances for the Tigers last year in the majors, where he pitched much better than those brutal results with Toledo would otherwise suggest.

In 23 innings of work across six appearances (including one start), Madden posted a 4.30 ERA with a 16.8% strikeout rate and an 7.9% walk rate. While that strikeout rate is rather low, his ability to avoid giving up walks and home runs allowed him to post a solid enough 3.99 FIP. That brief cup of coffee in the majors offered some reason for optimism that Madden could provide value as at least a back-end starter or swing man going forward. Unfortunately, it’s also his last work at any pro level to date. Madden suffered a rotator cuff strain in his throwing shoulder during Spring Training. He was transferred to the 60-day IL shortly after Opening Day to make room for outfielder Brewer Hicklen on the club’s 40-man roster and has remained there ever since.

While Madden won’t pitch in the majors this year, it’s certainly possible he could be involved in the club’s pitching staff next year. Alex Cobb, Charlie Morton, Chris Paddack, Rafael Montero, Kyle Finnegan, Paul Sewald, and Tommy Kahnle are all set to hit free agency this winter. Jack Flaherty has a player option for the 2026 campaign. Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize are slated for free agency after 2026. With so much room opening up on the Tigers’ pitching staff both this coming offseason and then again after next year, an arm capable of handling work in either the rotation or the bullpen like Madden could be an asset for the Tigers as they look to recreate their pitching staff and keep their current window of contention open.

Tigers Reinstate Alex Lange From 60-Day Injured List

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The Tigers announced that right-hander Alex Lange has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Bailey Horn has been optioned to Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full.

It’s been quite an odyssey for Lange in recent years. He took over the closer’s role in Detroit in 2023, recording 26 saves that year. He tossed 66 innings with a 3.68 earned run average. His 15.6% walk rate was awful but he struck out 27.4% of batters faced while getting grounders on 50.6% of balls in play.

His results backed up early in 2024. He started the season with a 4.34 ERA through 18 2/3 innings. His 23.3% strikeout rate, 18.9% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate all moved in the wrong direction relative to the year before.

The Tigers optioned him to the minors in late May. He injured himself a few weeks later, requiring lat surgery in mid-June. The Tigers didn’t announce an expected recovery timeline but it has taken Lange 14 months to get back to the majors. They put him on the major league 60-day IL when they signed John Brebbia back in February.

Now Lange finally gets a chance to get things back on track after all those challenges. For what it’s worth, his recent rehab numbers have been similar to his previous performance. He tossed 13 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.73 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 13% walk rate and 62.1% ground ball rate.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: Walk-Year Performances, Roman Anthony’s Extension, And More!

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Should Tigers fans be nervous? Is the club worse off going into next year? Should they trade Tarik Skubal this winter? (38:55)
  • The Mets didn’t trade Mark Vientos at the deadline and Pete Alonso is trending towards opting out. Will the Mets move on from Alonso this time? (51:05)
  • The teams that are considering six-man rotations, should they piggyback two of them in one game? (57:20)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images

Luke Jackson Elects Free Agency

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Aug. 10: Jackson cleared waivers and has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, as per Jackson’s MLB.com profile page.  Because Jackson has previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to opt for free agency.

Aug. 8: The Tigers have recalled right-hander Codi Heuer from Triple-A Toledo, with fellow righty Luke Jackson designated for assignment. The moves haven’t been officially announced but Craig McCosky of Detroit News was among the reporters to relay them.

The Tigers picked up Jackson a couple of weeks ago after he had been released by the Rangers. He had been having a rough season in Texas but has a good track record, so the Tigers scooped him up, hoping for a bounceback.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get it. He tossed 4 2/3 innings for Detroit, allowing four earned runs via three hits and five walks while striking out four. Combined with his results with the Rangers, he has a 4.54 earned run average in 39 2/3 innings this year. His 52.5% ground ball rate is good but his 16.1% strikeout rate and 13.8% walk rate are both noticeably worse than league average.

Despite the rough numbers, he might get another shot somewhere. The Rangers are still on the hook for the remainder his $1.5MM salary. That means another club could sign Jackson and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the $760K league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Rangers pay.

From 2018 to 2024, Jackson tossed 289 2/3 innings in the majors with a 3.91 ERA. His 10.2% walk rate in that time was a bit high but he punched out 27.1% of batters faced and got opponents to hit the ball into the ground on 54.3% of balls in play.

The punchouts haven’t been there this year, which is why he’s now twice been designated for assignment. But with the trade deadline now passed, it’s harder for clubs to find useful pitching upgrades. Since Jackson has a good track record and would essentially be free, some team might take a shot on him soon.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Tigers Place Matt Vierling On 10-Day IL With Oblique Strain

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The Tigers announced today that they have placed Matt Vierling on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Trey Sweeney was recalled to take his place on the active roster. Manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, that the strain is “mild.” Yet, with just seven weeks left in the regular season, it’s not out of the question that Vierling could be done for the year. Hinch, however, remains optimistic, saying, “We have not eliminated the chance for him to come back.”

Vierling played a big part in Detroit’s surprising success last year but hasn’t been able to contribute much in 2025. He missed the first two months of the season with a rotator cuff strain in his throwing arm and only made it back for four games in late May before inflammation in the same shoulder shelved him for another month. When healthy, he has struggled to impact the baseball. His hard-hit rate is roughly in line with his career average, and his barrel rate is a career high, but his power numbers have never been worse. He has just three doubles and one home run in 31 games, good for a .307 slugging percentage. His .068 isolated power is the worst on the team (min. 100 PA).

Hinch told reporters yesterday, including Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press, that Vierling had been nursing “intermittent soreness” in his oblique throughout August. Evidently, the issue eventually proved serious enough for the outfielder to hit the IL.

For now, the Tigers can move Javier Báez back to center field in Vierling’s place. Wenceel Pérez is another option to play the position; he suffered a right foot contusion on Saturday, but tests came back negative. He expects to be available today off the bench (per Evan Woodberry of MLive.com). As for Sweeney, he can cover at shortstop when Báez is playing the outfield. At some point further down the line, however, Detroit will hope to have Parker Meadows back as the everyday center fielder. He has been out with a quad strain since late July. While he doesn’t yet have a timeline to return, Hinch told Chris McCosky of The Detroit News that Meadows is “doing better and better” in his rehab. The skipper said the Tigers are trying to move him along “as fast as [they] can” without causing a setback.

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