Tigers add prospects to 40-man roster

DETROIT -- The Tigers added five prospects to their 40-man roster on Tuesday to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft. The list includes three members of their Top 30 Prospects list, but also two longtime Minor Leaguers who worked their way into the organization’s plans.

For catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and infielder Hao-Yu Lee, the moves were expected. For left-hander Jake Miller, catcher Eduardo Valencia and the super-versatile Trei Cruz, the moves were validation for places they’ve forged in the Tigers’ plans.

To make room on the 40-man roster for the five prospects and second baseman Gleyber Torres, who accepted his qualifying offer on Tuesday, the Tigers designated a half-dozen relievers for assignment, including former closer Jason Foley.

Foley, who led the Tigers with 28 saves in 2024, did not pitch for Detroit this season. He was optioned to Triple-A Toledo after a rough Spring Training, then made just five appearances for the Mud Hens before sustaining a right shoulder injury that led to season-ending surgery in May. He has been working through a return-to-play throwing progression, but he was eligible for arbitration this winter.

Also designated for assignment were right-handers Dugan Darnell, Jack Little, Tyler Mattison and Tanner Rainey, plus left-hander Sean Guenther. Like Foley, Guenther missed much of the season due to surgery, in his case on his left hip, and he has been working through a throwing program this offseason. Darnell and Little were waiver claims from the Pirates earlier this offseason. Mattison was a 40-man roster add last offseason and a ranked prospect earlier this year who seemed positioned to make his Major League debut down the stretch. He struggled with command after he was promoted to Triple-A Toledo in July, including issuing 16 walks over 19 innings despite 26 strikeouts.

Here’s a closer look at the prospects added:

Thayron Liranzo, C (Tigers No. 5 prospect)

This one was a no-brainer. The switch-hitting catcher quickly climbed the prospect rankings after coming over from the Dodgers in the Jack Flaherty trade at the 2024 Trade Deadline. Liranzo had a difficult season this year at Double-A Erie (.206/.308/.351) thanks in part to nagging injuries, and he was limited to DH from July 27 on while No. 3 prospect Josue Briceño took on more work behind the plate. Still, Liranzo is just 22 years old, and Dillon Dingler showed how catchers sometimes need more time to develop.

Hao-Yu Lee, 3B/2B (Tigers No. 6 prospect)

Like Liranzo, Lee rose through the Tigers' system after coming over in a trade -- from Philadelphia for Michael Lorenzen at the 2023 Trade Deadline -- before struggling with a new level this season. The 22-year-old hit .243/.342/.406 with 23 doubles, 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and 22 stolen bases with Toledo, despite being four years younger than the weighted average age for International League hitters. His ability to hit lefties (.299/.395/.523 in 124 plate appearances) could be his ticket to Detroit.

Jake Miller, LHP (Tigers No. 19 prospect)

Miller, an eighth-round Draft pick out of Valparaiso in 2022, was one of the hottest names in the system going into the season, and he earned the start in the Tigers’ Spring Breakout game. But back issues limited him to just 20 innings over six games between Erie and Single-A Lakeland. When Miller is right, he’s a hybrid starter/reliever with a solid mix of a 92-93 mph fastball, a slider and a changeup that allows him to be nasty against hitters from both sides of the plate.

Trei Cruz, IF/OF

The Tigers lost Gage Workman in last year’s Rule 5 Draft before the Cubs returned him, and Cruz -- a fellow 2020 Draft pick -- would’ve been appealing as the next superutility option. The versatile right-handed hitter earned a long-awaited promotion to Toledo at midseason, just after his 27th birthday, and outperformed his Double-A numbers, hitting .279/.411/.456 between the stops with 33 doubles, 13 homers, 66 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 102 walks in 127 games. The son of Jose Cruz Jr. has played everywhere but first base, catcher and pitcher during his pro career, which profiles well to crack the Tigers' roster.

Eduardo Valencia, C/1B

Valencia was the surprise breakout of the Tigers' system this season, vaulting to Toledo and into Detroit’s plans for catching depth. His 24 home runs over 103 games between Toledo and Erie were twice as many as he hit over his previous five Minor League seasons combined. By getting in better shape and hitting the ball harder and in the air more often, Valencia became a bona fide power hitter. He’ll turn 26 in January, but he gives the Tigers catching depth along with veteran Tomás Nido, who re-signed on a Minor League contract last month.

Here's a look at a few notable prospects who were not added, and thus will be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10:

Izaac Pacheco, 3B/1B (Tigers No. 21 prospect)

Four years ago, Pacheco and Jackson Jobe were on similar trajectories, leading the next wave of Tigers prospects. But while Jobe arrived in Detroit last season, Pacheco’s path hit a bump at High-A West Michigan, where he has played 304 games over the past four seasons as he tried to adapt his long swing for more contact. Still young for the High-A level, Pacheco had a renaissance this summer, batting .258/.388/.499 with 25 doubles, 17 homers and 68 RBIs to lead the eventual Midwest League champions. He’s more likely to get his long-awaited promotion to Double-A than a Rule 5 selection.

RJ Petit, RHP (Tigers No. 30 prospect)

The 6-foot-8, 300-pound reliever has quietly and steadily progressed through the system while adapting his arsenal at each level. While his 95 mph fastball and sinker belie his frame, his high-whiff slider, improved changeup and easy delivery make him a tall order for hitters. Petit is not a flashy prospect, but with a good changeup and more swing-and-miss than a typical sinker-slider reliever, he’s the type of unique, durable reliever who can help Detroit restock its bullpen -- or help another team rebuild theirs.