The Tigers spent well past the 5 PM EST deadline sorting through a pile of roster business, and when the dust settled, Detroit had made a clear set of calls on some of its biggest decisions.
The club picked up Drew Anderson’s option for 2027 and declined Kenley Jansen’s, then moved quickly to create room for the players coming off the 60-day injured list. Seven of the eight were restored to the 40-man roster: Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Reese Olson, Wenceel Pérez, Trey Sweeney, Will Vest, and Matt Vierling. Bailey Horn was the lone exception.
Detroit also made a few additional roster moves to clear space. Horn and former top prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long were placed on unconditional release waivers, Corey Julks was outrighted off the roster, and Yilber Díaz was designated for assignment.
On the pitching side, the Tigers added another arm by signing Jacob Waguespack to a $1.3 million MLB deal. The contract includes bonuses that could push the total value to $1.5 million.
Anderson’s return was the easier call. He’s expected to factor into the swingman mix again in 2027, and after pitching well as a starter following Tarik Skubal’s trade, the $10 million option looks like a bargain. Jansen’s $12 million option, meanwhile, was a tougher sell after he became one of the faces of Detroit’s bullpen problems in 2026.
Horn’s departure fits the injury timeline as well. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July, and the Tigers have already brought him back multiple times since the 2024-25 offseason, so a minor league reunion down the road still wouldn’t be a shock.
Gipson-Long’s exit carries a little more weight. Detroit has not been quick to give up on former top prospects, but his health issues have kept him from getting traction, and he hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2025, when he logged 31 1/3 innings with a 7.18 ERA.
The Tigers also kept Sweeney and Vierling on the roster, even though both had looked like possible non-tender candidates. For now, they’re still in the mix, though with the 40-man roster full, they could be among the first names moved if Detroit makes more additions this offseason.
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Suzukis fit is easy to imagine, but the timing is not simple. The market is being shaped by financial questions and labor uncertainty heading into the new season, and there is still no official deal or confirmation from either side. For a Tigers club trying to balance ambition with caution, this is the kind of pursuit that could say a lot about how aggressively it plans to chase improvement. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Just Signaled A Big Shift In Their 2027 Roster Plans
The Tigers made a clear roster statement as the offseason began, picking up right-hander Drew Andersons club option for 2027 while declining Kenley Jansens $12 million option and sending the veteran closer into free agency. It was the kind of decision that says as much about where a team thinks it is headed as it does about any one player, especially with Detroit also cycling through a full slate of roster housekeeping.
Along with the option calls, the club reinstated eight players from the 60-day injured list, signed Jacob Waguespack to a one-year contract and moved several others through waivers or DFA decisions. Taken together, the days transactions showed the Tigers trimming, sorting and reshaping the edges of the roster, with the Jansen decision standing out as the clearest sign that the bullpen picture for 2027 is already changing. [Read more 🡒]