The Tigers started checking off some offseason loose ends on Tuesday, reaching new minor league agreements with veteran catcher Carlos Pérez and a group of right-handed relief arms they’ve been developing in the system.
Pérez filled the Triple-A catching role after Tomás Nido moved on and eventually signed with the Boston Red Sox. In Toledo, he got hot with the bat before an ankle injury in August shut down his season. The 36-year-old backstop brings major league experience, along with a reputation as a steady game caller and a solid defender.
On the mound, Detroit brought back three relievers who spent last season working at Double-A and stood out as some of the better bullpen arms in the organization.
Moises Rodriguez, the most notable of the group, is a sinkerballer with a high-90s sinker that reaches triple digits and a useful breaking ball. He was ranked 28th in the preseason prospect list and was the lone upper-level relief prospect to draw real attention there.
The 24-year-old kept the ball on the ground and out of the air with authority, posting a 2.57 ERA in 2026. Command remains the sticking point, and the two pitches don’t quite complement each other cleanly in terms of shape and release, but he’ll stay in the system on a one-year deal.
He is also eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason.
Marco Jimenez is back as well. The 26-year-old right-hander has shown velocity in the 97-98 mph range and pairs it with a quality breaking pitch, even if the fastball shape plays down some compared with the raw radar-gun reading.
He has reached triple digits in past stretches, but injuries have slowed him down. In 2026, he logged just 16.2 innings, though the strikeouts were there and the walks were minimal.
Home runs were an issue in that small sample, though that hasn’t always been a defining problem for him.
Wandisson Charles also returned after becoming an important part of the Erie SeaWolves bullpen. The 30-year-old spent several years in the Baltimore Orioles system without reaching the majors, then sat out 2025 before the Tigers signed him last winter.
This year, he worked 63.2 innings and struck out 31.2 percent of the hitters he faced. Like the others, he brings velocity and a ground-ball profile, though his breaking ball still needs to sharpen up.
His fastball is good enough that he could fit in middle relief.
There are still a few minor league free agents on Detroit’s list who have not been re-signed yet, including outfielder Roberto Campos, utilityman Trei Cruz, right-hander Yoniel Curet, and veteran reliever Jack Little. Campos is the biggest name among them, thanks in part to the $2.85 million bonus he received as a teenager after moving from Cuba to the Dominican Republic.
Now 24, he has developed gradually, but his progress has been steady, and he handled the step up to Double-A well this season. His ceiling now looks more like a fourth outfielder, though the Tigers may want to keep him around another year to see whether better pitch selection can help him unlock more of his raw power.
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Scott Harris Faces A Quiet Tigers Roster Squeeze This Winter
The winter roster crunch is already showing up on the Tigers calendar, and it starts with the Rule 5 draft. Several prospects could need a 40-man roster spot to stay out of reach, which forces Detroit to weigh long-term development against the risk of losing useful depth for nothing. It is the kind of decision that does not always grab headlines, but it can shape the back end of a roster and expose how a front office values its own pipeline.
Scott Harris and the Tigers also have to navigate a layer of uncertainty beyond their own board, since the Collective Bargaining Agreement expiration could affect whether the draft even happens. In the meantime, Detroits roster strategy remains tied to the broader flexibility created under owner Chris Ilitch, giving the club some room to maneuver if it wants to protect the right players without boxing itself in. Even so, this is the sort of quiet squeeze that can force hard choices sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Have A Buy-Low Rotation Target Fans Should Notice
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What makes Griffin especially interesting from Detroits perspective is the winding path that brought him back here. After Tommy John surgery in 2021, he spent time in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants before returning to MLB with the Nationals in 2026 and later being traded to Cleveland, a journey that suggests both resilience and adaptability. For a Tigers club that could still benefit from adding pitching depth without overextending itself, Griffin fits the profile of a buy-low target worth a closer look. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin McGonigle Just Took Another Big Step In Detroits Future
Kevin McGonigles first full taste of the majors could hardly have gone much better. The young infielder was named the American Leagues Outstanding Rookie of the Year by the MLB Players Association after a strong debut season with the Tigers, one in which he quickly established himself as more than just a promising name in the pipeline. He led Detroit with 168 hits, earned an AL All-Star nod and picked up AL Rookie of the Month honors in April, all while showing the kind of steady production teams hope to build around.
The recognition matters because it reflects how quickly McGonigles game has translated and how widely his work has been noticed around the league. Even with the individual acclaim, hes already talking like a player looking past the award shelf and toward the Tigers bigger picture, focusing on helping Detroit win in future seasons. For a club trying to turn young talent into lasting contention, that kind of early traction is exactly the sort of step forward that matters. [Read more 🡒]