Frustrating former Tigers utility man lands back in AL Central after Pirates DFA

Tigers fans celebrated when Detroit finally DFA'd longtime Quad-A utility man Ryan Kreidler in late August. He was a weird common enemy for fans to rally around in their distaste — having played in only 17 games in the 2025 season to total just 89 in four years — but those four years were filled with poor performance that had us begging the Tigers to find any better depth option to keep in Triple-A.

He somehow lucked into an Opening Day roster spot this year, when Detroit's outfield depth was decimated by injuries, but he hit a paltry .105 with a .295 OPS through April 20 before the Tigers sent him back to Toledo and ultimately let him go altogether in August.

Kreidler was picked up by the Pirates off of waivers and was called up a few times to occupy the bench in the event of a pinch-hit or substitute situation, but he didn't see actual playing time in Pittsburgh.

On Oct. 13, even the Pirates decided they wanted nothing to do with him, and they DFA'd him for his second time this season.

It only took a few days for someone else — unsurprisingly, another bottom-feeder team — to pick him up. Kreidler's back in the AL Central, this time with the Twins.

Longtime Tigers utility man Ryan Kreidler lands with the Twins after Pirates DFA

Kreidler's minor league stats in the Pirates' organization make it pretty obvious why Pittsburgh only ever brought him up as a very last resort. He hit .163 with a .558 OPS and a single homer and RBI in 15 games for Triple-A Indianapolis.

A frequent frustration for Tigers fans was that he would oftentimes look decent or even pretty good in Toledo, which would then convince Tigers management to bring him up, only for him to be completely unproductive in the majors. At least he never gave Pirates fans the same kind of false hope.

With the unprecedented fire sale the Twins ran at the trade deadline, it wouldn't be entirely surprising if Kreidler finds himself on an Opening Day roster for the second year in a row in 2026 — but that's far more a reflection of where the Twins are as a franchise rather than Kreidler as a player.

If he does stick around on their major league roster for a while, he'll probably get a return to Comerica, but we shouldn't be worried about a revenge game.