Jacob Waguespack is making a strong case to survive Tigers’ bullpen teardown

If you polled 100 random Tigers fans who have followed the team closely this season on what the biggest disappointment of the 2026 team has been, well over half would say the bullpen.

Kenley Jansen has been a letdown, but what else could we have expected from a 38-year-old closer nearing retirement? Kyle Finnegan had an uber disappointing year, Will Vest was awful before an injury, Brenan Hanifee was also bad before being sent to the IL, and both Beau Brieske and Andrew Sears have left a lot to be desired.

The Tigers need to burn it all down and start over in 2027 to have any shot at a postseason berth.

Jacob Waguespack, however, has been a surprising addition to the bullpen and he may have earned his keep through what should be a complete teardown this offseason.

Although he’s already 32 and is playing in just his fourth-ever MLB season after spending some time in Japan, Waguespack looks like he was the perfect value addition to the bullpen, signing a one-year deal worth about $850,000 for the 2026 season.

Just how far has that $850,000 stretched? Well, he’s one of eight Tigers relievers who have pitched at least 40 innings this season, and out of those eight, he has the lowest ERA (2.47). He’s also tied for the second-highest WAR in the bullpen this season at 1.2. Only Tyler Holton (1.3) has a higher WAR in the Tigers’ bullpen this year.

Taking a risk on a 32-year-old who had never posted an ERA below 4.38 in the majors might seem crazy, but he has looked the part and he might just be a late bloomer. He’s looked like the most efficient pitcher outside of Holton in the pen.

On top of his bullpen-best 2.47 ERA, Waguespack has posted an 0.89 WHIP and has a .150 batting average against which are both career-bests. His 43 2/3 innings are also the most he’s pitched in a season since 2019.

The Tigers need to tear it all down and start over, but Waguespack has joined the short list of relievers who have earned their keep and deserve to be at the center of a turnaround in 2027.

All the pressure will be on Scott Harris this offseason

With the Tigers missing the playoffs and staring down a critical offseason, president of baseball operations Scott Harris needs to retain a handful of bullpen arms while also spending money on help.

His big signings this year were Jansen, Justin Verlander, and Framber Valdez and all three guys were disappointing for different reasons. Jansen just wasn’t as shutdown as he used to be at the age of 38, Verlander could only stay healthy for two starts, and Valdez posted his worst ERA since 2019 and fewest wins since 2020. All three fell short of expectations.

Harris has to feel the pressure of turning things around in a hurry because it’s pretty obvious what the downfall was this year. Pitching just wasn’t what it was supposed to be, and trading Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize made the staff even worse.

There are some decent arms in the minors like River Ryan, Cameron Flukey, and Kash Mayfield but Harris has to spend some money and not just rely on the farm system to produce much-needed bullpen help.

No one expected it, but Waguespack should be a key retainee.

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