Projecting the Tigers’ bullpen as usual suspects’ struggles open the door for NRIs

Spring training bullpen competitions often follow a predictable script. A handful of established relievers have their jobs secured, a couple of familiar names round out the group, and a few non-roster invitees quietly get reassigned to Triple-A once camp breaks.

But this spring in Lakeland, the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen picture is anything but predictable.

Five of the eight spots appear locked in assuming good health: veteran closer Kenley Jansen, along with Will Vest, Kyle Finnegan, left-hander Tyler Holton and Drew Anderson. That leaves three open spots — and suddenly, the presumed favorites for those jobs are wobbling just enough to make things interesting.

The Tigers likely entered camp expecting two familiar names to help round out the bullpen: Brant Hurter and Brenan Hanifee. Both were reliable pieces of Detroit’s relief corps in 2024 and seemed like logical fits again in 2026. But spring training has been a reminder that roster spots aren’t handed out on past performance.

Hurter has done one of the things coaches value most — throw strikes — but the quality of those strikes hasn’t been ideal. When he faced the Dominican national team in a WBC exhibition, three of them left the yard in a single inning. Considering he allowed just eight homers all of last season, it was an eye-opening hiccup.

Hanifee’s issue has been different but just as concerning. While experimenting with ways to better neutralize left-handed hitters, he’s ironically been hit hard by right-handers. His Grapefruit League appearances — and especially his outing in Santo Domingo — have kept the door open.

In other words, the expected candidates aren't exactly running away with it. Manager A.J. Hinch isn’t panicking, but he made it clear the real evaluation phase of camp is just beginning.

Spring injuries, roster decisions have thinned Tigers' bullpen options

The Tigers' bullpen competition has also been reshaped by circumstances. The organization already decided Keider Montero will stay stretched out as a starter at Triple-A Toledo.

Troy Melton has been shelved with elbow discomfort and hasn’t resumed throwing, and Beau Brieske — who was a key late-season weapon in 2024 — is also still working back from rib cage soreness after throwing just 1 1/3 innings this spring.

Suddenly, the Tigers have fewer sure things competing for those last spots. That's where the non-roster invitees come in.

Right-handers Tyler Mattison, Burch Smith, and Tanner Rainey have all flashed enough to keep themselves in the conversation. Mattison stumbled in his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, but his stuff continues to intrigue evaluators.

Ricky Vanasco also reminded the Tigers why they’ve kept giving him looks. After several rough outings, he struck out the side with a nasty low-spin curveball paired with a 96-mph fastball.

On the left-handed side, Sean Guenther appears to be rounding back into form after missing much of last season, while Konnor Pilkington continues to generate soft contact with his changeup-slider combination.

But Enmanuel De Jesus remains the most intriguing name of all. He has simply been too dominant to ignore this spring, striking out seven in his final Tigers outing before leaving for the World Baseball Classic — and proceeding to set a Venezuelan WBC record with eight strikeouts in his first start.

President Scott Harris could still add help from outside the organization. But the more this spring unfolds, the more it looks like Detroit might already have intriguing answers inside camp.

For Hurter and Hanifee, the message is clear: nothing is guaranteed. But for the non-roster invitees, the message is even clearer: the race is wide open.