The Tigers’ bullpen experiment from the 2025 trade deadline just got another harsh footnote. Rafael Montero, one of the few deadline additions who actually gave Detroit usable innings, was released by the Yankees on Tuesday after a rough stretch in Triple-A that only reinforced how precarious the Tigers’ success with him really was.
Montero had arrived from the Braves as one of the least effective relievers in baseball, part of a deadline haul that also included Chris Paddack, Charlie Morton, Paul Sewald and others who never really solved Detroit’s problems. Yet Montero somehow turned into a functional piece once he got to Detroit, where the Tigers apparently helped straighten him out by drawing sharpie lines on balls to match his fastball grip.
The result was 22 innings and a 2.86 ERA. Chris Fetter deserves credit for the adjustment, but the bigger truth is that Detroit likely caught a break.
After the season, the Tigers let Montero go, and he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. That move didn’t last long. His 5.67 ERA in 27 Triple-A innings led to his release, a reminder that Detroit may have been living dangerously even while the fix worked for a while.
Detroit also made a move to shore up its catching depth, signing former White Sox catcher Seby Zavala to a minor league deal four days after Carlos Pérez landed on the Mud Hens’ IL on Aug. 2.
The Tigers had already moved quickly to address the position after releasing veteran catcher Tomás Nido in late July and then adding Pérez on a minor league deal. With Jake Rogers gone and Eduardo Valencia elevated into the backup role, Detroit needed a clear third catcher, and Zavala fit that need.
Zavala hasn’t been in the majors since 2024, when he appeared in 18 games for the Mariners. Since then, he’s spent time in the Red Sox and Dodgers organizations, played 34 games with the Charros de Jalisco in the Mexican League this June, and then joined the Tigers.
Wenceel Pérez’s rehab hit another snag as well. The Tigers moved his assignment to Toledo on Aug. 6, but after three Triple-A games they decided he needed more time before returning to game action. He went 0-for-10 with an RBI sacrifice fly, and Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reported Tuesday that he was still dealing with eyesight issues and was being shut down.
Pérez has been on the injured list since June 19 after suffering a left orbital fracture during a postgame workout. His return has been slow from the start, and now it appears he may have to begin the process all over again if the setbacks continue.
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