Detroit Tigers: Trevor Rosenthal could be nice in-season addition to bullpen

Detroit Tigers hoping for in-season addition of Trevor Rosenthal.

The Detroit Tigers recently agreed to a minor-league contract with right-handed reliever Trevor Rosenthal. The deal keeps him with the Tigers organization through the 2023 season and invites him to big-league training camp in Lakeland.

As the 2023 Spring Training tune-up continues, the Detroit Tigers will not be doing any rushing when it comes to Rosenthal and his ramp-up efforts. There's a good reason to believe he will not break camp with the Tigers and head north, but that's not a bad thing.

He will take his time ramping up and continue working towards being ready to pitch in the big leagues once again. The eight-year MLB veteran has been around for a while now and was once a great closer for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In fact, Rosenthal played for the Tigers back in 2019 after he was released by the Nationals that same season. He's again back with the Tigers a few years after they DFA'd him. Rosenthal is looking to latch on and be a possible bullpen arm, as the team needs him.

Rosenthal signed with the Giants last summer and was granted his free agency this off-season. Another connection to the Tigers by way of Scott Harris, the team's President of Baseball Operations, who came from the Giants organization.

The Tigers are just hoping that he can bring some value to the team, and it sounds like he could end up being an excellent addition to the team's bullpen in-season.

In 2022, Rosenthal played in 23 big league games between time with the Kansas City Royals and San Diego Padres. Between all 23 appearances, he managed 23.2 innings pitched with just eight walks and 38 punchouts. He pitched to a 1.90 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP.

He may not be the same arm he was when he came into the league with the Cardinals and was a valuable piece of their bullpen and late-game efforts, but there's reason to believe he can be a difference-maker with the Tigers.

He will take his time and ramp up to big league level, which means he might get into some competition this Spring and start working toward being in shape for a big-league outing. He has time. Even nearing the middle of March, he still has time to get up to speed.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch made it clear that he will not be super worried about Rosenthal hurrying and will not push the envelope. But once he is ready to go, likely after the season starts, there's reason to believe he could be a solid addition to the bullpen.