Tigers' flurry of roster moves include Kenley Jansen decision, MLB deal for bullpen standout

The Tigers kept fans waiting in suspense well past the 5 PM EST deadline to move players off the 60-day IL and trim 40-man rosters. They had a few key decisions to make: Drew Anderson and Kenley Jansen's club options for 2027, and making room for eight players who ended the season on the 60-day.

The wait was kind of worth it, because Detroit threw a slew of roster moves at fans that didn't disappoint.

They picked up Anderson's option (the right call), declined Jansen's (the right call), and reinstated seven of those eight injured players to the 40-man roster. Only Bailey Horn failed to make the cut. He and former top prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long were placed on unconditional release waivers, Corey Julks was outrighted off the roster, and Yilber Díaz was DFA'ed.

Kerry Carpenter, Parker Meadows, Reese Olson, Wenceel Pérez, Trey Sweeney, Will Vest, and Matt Vierling are all safe (for now).

The Tigers also announced that they had signed Jacob Waguespack to a $1.3 million MLB deal with bonuses that could bring his earnings up to $1.5 million. That was also the right call; Waguespack was a standout in an otherwise awful Tigers bullpen in 2026.

Tigers decline Kenley Jansen's option, pick up Drew Anderson's, re-sign Jacob Waguespack, release former top prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long

Keeping Anderson and letting go of Jansen were the only correct decisions on those club options. Anderson can/probably will be used in a swingman role again in 2027 (though he pitched very well as a starter after Tarik Skubal was traded), and at $10 million, he looks like a steal. Jansen's owed $12 million will be better allocated elsewhere, after he spent the 2026 season as one of the faces of the Tigers' bullpen woes.

Horn underwent Tommy John in July, so letting him go was the right move. The Tigers have taken him back a few times since the 2024-25 offseason, so it's still possible they re-sign him on a minor league deal in the vein of their two-year deal for former Orioles pitcher Nick Raquet.

Gipson-Long being let go of is slightly more surprising, given that the Tigers don't give up on former top prospects readily. But he's never been able to stay healthy and hasn't pitched in the majors since 2025, when he threw 31 1/3 innings for a 7.18 ERA.

Sweeney and Vierling appeared to be non-tender candidates, but the Tigers are hanging onto both for now. With the 40-man now full, it still feels like they could be the first out if Detroit makes any offseason additions.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow