Tigers re-sign non-tendered reliever as helpful minor-league depth

The Detroit Tigers just pulled off one of baseball’s most quietly effective front-office maneuvers: cut a player loose … then bring him right back.

Right-hander Tanner Rainey is returning to the Tigers on a minor league contract, according to his MLB.com profile page — a week after the Tigers designated him for assignment and non-tendered him at the deadline. This isn't a contradiction; it's business –– and good business, at that.

By non-tendering Rainey, the Tigers sidestepped arbitration and the estimated $1.6 million price tag that likely would’ve come with it. That projection, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors' Matt Swartz, was more than Detroit wanted to guarantee for a reliever who is still working his way back to full form. So the front office did the sensible thing: cut the obligation, keep the player.

Now Rainey returns on a non-guaranteed deal — the kind that lets the Tigers hold onto a familiar arm without locking in real money. If he makes the roster, the salary will almost certainly come in well below that $1.6 million mark. If he doesn’t? No harm done. This is roster management in its cleanest, least dramatic form.

Tigers bring back Tanner Rainey as non-roster depth with minor league contract for 2026

Rainey isn’t coming back to headline a bullpen. He’s coming back to add depth — the kind every team needs by July and none of them want to overpay for in December. Detroit’s bullpen got stretched last season, and the front office clearly doesn’t want to relive the "who's left standing?" phase of 2025. For Tigers fans, this is one of those moves that feels invisible until it suddenly matters.

Rainey has raw stuff. That’s never been the issue. The question has always been control and health — and that’s exactly why a non-guaranteed deal makes so much sense here. The Tigers can afford to wait and see. They don’t need to force Rainey into anything. If he clicks in Triple-A, great. If he doesn’t, nothing is lost.

That’s a refreshing change from past versions of the Tigers, who often locked in money first and asked questions later. It's also a quiet signal from the front office that we shouldn't expect splashy bullpen spending just yet this offseason. Rather, we should expect creativity before the market settles.

Instead of throwing cash at volatile relievers, Detroit is clearly leaning into bargain hunting and depth-building — and Rainey checks both boxes. He already knows the organization. The Tigers already know what he brings. There’s no adjustment period, no mystery scouting report, no “getting to know you” phase.

For the Tigers, Rainey is plug-and-play insurance. He's the type of insurance that is often underrated –– until your bullpen springs a leak. The Tigers re-signed Rainey because they still believe in the arm. He's the same player, just on a much smarter contract –– and sometimes, that's a win hiding in plain sight.