Remember Detroit Tigers minor leaguer Freddy Pacheco?

Detroit Tigers and Freddy Pacheco on the same page.

When it comes to the Detroit Tigers minor league system, there's a lot of room to add depth. The Tigers are looking to continue stockpiling depth; one of those things is taking chances on extra arms. Pitching depth will always be key throughout all levels of the organization, not just the "next men up."

The Detroit Tigers should be looking for depth, and they were able to do so with someone who has already established himself with the organization. As part of Scott Harris's first off-season with the Tigers, he went out and brought in some depth to the pitching staff; one of those players was Freddy Pacheco.

Shortly after Pacheco was brought into the Tigers organization, it was announced that he had to undergo Tommy John surgery. It has left him off the field for quite some time. The last time he threw in a game was in 2022 for the St. Louis Cardinals affiliates. He had to undergo surgery and is continuing to rehab.

Pacheco was re-signed by the Tigers even though he did not throw an inning in 2023 in-game. He's continuing to work back from Tommy John surgery and was awarded another MiLB contract to join the Tigers organization once again and continue on his road to recovery. The 25-year-old must hold some value to Harris, who brought Pacheco back.

His road to returning is not over yet, either. He will continue his rehab into the summer with the track he is on. Why invest in an injured player for two years? There's rumored to be plenty of upside with Pacheco, a 25-year-old right-handed pitcher from Venezuela.

We're also talking about a pitcher already deemed to be a reliever. Again, the upside is what carries his profile. It's worth the Tigers taking a flier, if nothing else. It's a move that will not impact the big league club either, a gamble that's basically very low risk, with the potential for a nice reward on the other side.

Pacheco is known for his power fastball and slider combination. In the Free Press article linked above, Pacheco has been up to 99.4 mph on the heater, and the slider is a mid-80s offering to pair. This was pre-surgery, but the ball does come out of the hand with some burst, not to mention, he throws from a high slot, which has to help him generate some whiffs.

It will be interesting to see what Pacheco can do when he gets back on the mound, but for now, he will re-join the club on a minor league deal for 2024, working through his rehab program to get back on the mound in the summer.