Detroit Tigers: 4 players to be thankful for

RHP Joe Jimenez

Jimenez was once the bane of the Detroit Tigers' fanbase. A former top prospect who could hit triple digits on the radar gun, Jimenez had one good season in 2018 before regressing tremendously and was even on the verge of being DFA'd. But in 2022, that all changed.

Jimenez had a career year, strikeout over a 12 batters per nine innings and walking a career-low two batters per nine. Chris Fetter worked his magic once again.

Jimenez put his name back on the map as a top reliever. He finally lived up to his potential. He's got one more year before he becomes a free agent, which puts his future with the Detroit Tigers in question.

Could the Tigers offer him an extention? That could be pretty risky. Relievers are quite volatile, as we've seen with Jimenez throughout his career. Spending a lot of money on a reliever doesn't seem like smart spending.

Additionally, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the Detroit Tigers are receiving trade interest on their relievers, and you have to think Jimenez is drawing the most. It's safe to wonder how much longer Jimenez will be here.

But for now, Detroit Tigers' fans should be thankful that they have such a reliable bullpen arm. As we've seen over the years, those don't come around here very often.