FOX broadcast telegraphed Tigers' Opening Day roster decision with Enmanuel De Jesus

On Tuesday night, Team Venezuela won their first World Baseball Classic championship over the heavy favorites in Team USA.

Venezuela's player and coaching rosters were absolutely stacked with Tigers, both current and former: Gleyber Torres, Keider Montero, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Eugenio Suárez ... and Enmanuel De Jesus.

De Jesus was already making a strong case to get himself on Detroit's Opening Day roster before he left for the WBC, and the tournament all but sealed that fate. He pitched five innings of one-run baseball against Team Israel in pool play while striking out eight batters, and then 2 1/3 one-hit innings against Team Japan in the quarterfinal that sent the reigning champions home early.

Tuesday night's final was a nail-biter. Venezuela held onto a tight two-run lead through the top of the eighth inning, but Bryce Harper tied things up with a single swing of the bat in the eighth. With a tie game in a championship game, would manager Omar Lopez consider bringing in one of his most proficient arms?

FOX announcers Joe Davis and John Smoltz said that Lopez had some instruction from teams on who they were allowed to let pitch, and when. The Mariners didn't want to let Eduard Bazardo pitch at all, but Venezuela talked them into it. Cubs closer Daniel Palencia wasn't allowed to come into a game unless things ended up in the exact circumstances that happened to play out on Tuesday night: one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.

De Jesus wasn't allowed to pitch at all. That certainly makes it seem like the Tigers have a pitcher they're interested in preserving.

Orders from Tigers to Team Venezuela all but confirm Enmanuel De Jesus' Opening Day status

No one really comes into spring training with a fully settled roster, but it's always nice when someone unlikely — in De Jesus' case, bordering on impossible — manages to crack the major league roster.

Fans didn't think about De Jesus' signing at all when it initially happened. He'd flamed out in MLB previously, and his record in Korea wasn't all that great. It only took 6 1/3 innings in spring training and 7 1/3 in the WBC for De Jesus to punch his ticket.

The Tigers' bullpen isn't fully settled. Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, and Drew Anderson are all locks, but that leaves three spots open. Brenan Hanifee, Brant Hurter, and Bailey Horn should all be watching their backs right now.

You just have to give it to De Jesus. This might be the Tigers' best Cinderella story of the season.