Tigers make first official move of offseason and sign Venezuelan pitcher

The Detroit Tigers made their first official signing of the 2025-26 offseason on Friday, inking right-handed pitcher Sammy Zarraga to a minor league contract.

Zarraga is a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher, listed at 6′1″ and 175 lbs. He played for the Cardenales and Dream Team Academies in Venezuela and is a very early-stage prospect – likely a “project” rather than a near-MLB arm right away.

By signing Zarraga, the Tigers are clearly investing in their pitching pipeline. Even though he’s far from the majors, adding young arms helps build depth in the system. For a club that is trying to contend or move toward that phase, having more options is never bad.

Zarraga looks like a young, high-upside arm with good raw stuff (velocity plus secondary offerings) but with very little professional track record at this point. That means there’s room to develop, but because this is a minor league contract, the financial and roster risk is minimal. The Tigers can afford to take chances on young international pitchers. If Zarraga blossoms, great; if not, the cost is low. This indicates the Tigers are still balancing “today” competitiveness with “tomorrow” development.

Because Zarraga has no public minor-league stats yet, there’s very little “proof of concept.” His success will depend on growth in command, innings durability, and how his secondary pitches evolve. Raw velocity alone is not enough. The Tigers will want to monitor how quickly he progresses through their system; if development stagnates, then his value drops.

Tigers sign Venezuelan pitcher in first official offseason move, but there is more work to be done

The fact that Zarraga is a very young prospect and not a major league signing reminds us that the Tigers likely still plan to make more substantive moves this offseason. Zarraga’s presence doesn’t fill an immediate major league rotation need, and this signing alone isn’t enough to indicate they believe their rotation is set or that they’re done adding help at the big league level.

Signing Zarraga out of Venezuela suggests Detroit is continuing to lean on international scouting and development. If the Tigers want to accelerate their contention window, developing young arms like Zarraga is part of a multi-layered approach (veteran additions, plus internal growth, plus prospect pipeline). The signing suggests the Tigers are still quietly building and will likely also target more immediate upgrades (e.g., rotation help, bullpen, position players) rather than rely exclusively on youth.

Ultimately, signing Zarraga is a smart long-term move by the Tigers. It shows they’re investing in their pitching future and maintaining flexibility. But it also underscores that their offseason strategy is two-pronged – develop young arms for the future, while seeking more immediate moves to support the Major League roster if they want to accelerate contention.