Tigers begin dumpster diving early with minor league deal for former Orioles reliever

While the Tigers might not be planning to do any major offseason spending, Detroit fans are already well-acquainted with the patented Scott Harris minor league signing or waiver wire claim. It's almost always a pitcher, usually one who's in his 30s and whose name would be unfamiliar to even the most well-versed baseball fan.

It worked out once this season with Jacob Waguespack, who came over from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash in June. But most of the time, guys like Enmanuel De Jesus or Tanner Rainey or Connor Seabold are lucky to get one moment in the sun before they become depth pieces, at best.

Harris has wasted no time throwing spaghetti at the wall this offseason. Per Ari Alexander, the Tigers have signed former Cardinals and Orioles pitcher Nick Raquet to a two-year minor league deal.

Raquet just underwent Tommy John surgery, which sort of explains the length of the deal, given that he probably won't be available to pitch at all in 2027, but what still doesn't make sense is why the Tigers felt the need to lock up this specific guy so quickly.

Tigers sign reliever Nick Raquet to a two-year minor league deal

Raquet was a third-round pick for the Nationals in 2017 and stuck around in their top 30 list from 2018 through 2020. He left the game after the 2020 minor league season was canceled, but staged a comeback in the independent Atlantic League in 2023 before signing a minor league deal with the Cardinals ahead of the 2024 season.

He pitched just two major league innings for St. Louis in 2025 before being DFA'ed in April of this season and sent to the Orioles in exchange for High-A second baseman Brayden Smith. He pitched 3 2/3 innings in Baltimore and gave up three runs before being DFA'ed on September 1 and then released.

While signing him to a two-year deal enables the Tigers to put him on the shelf throughout 2027 and then be pleasantly surprised to remember that they have a little bit of pitching depth in 2028, and perhaps it speaks to the Tigers' belief that they'll unlock something in him when the time comes.

But Tigers fans won't be surprised if we never hear about this guy again beyond the initial signing. That's just how these Harris signings usually play out.

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