Meet the relievers who helped Detroit get to the postseason

CLEVELAND -- The makeup of the Tigers’ bullpen has shifted dramatically in the decade since Dave Dombrowski was overseeing the front office, where a premium was placed on established arms -- many acquired via free agency.

But through an era of transition, specifically under second-year president of baseball operations Scott Harris, the Tigers have assembled a group of unheralded -- and for most outside Detroit, unknown -- relievers who have played a pivotal part in them reaching the postseason for the first time since 2014.

And after a 7-0 loss in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, they’ll lean on this group to get back into the best-of-five round.

“You've got to count outs really from the beginning, and you need them all,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “And so you have to have a path to get there. In order to do that and use a lot of pitchers, you really do need somebody to go one-plus, two, two-plus, three [innings].”

Here’s a look at Detroit’s under-the-radar bullpen arms (alphabetically). For this project, its more well-known relievers, such as Beau Brieske and top prospect Jackson Jobe, were not included.

RHP Jason Foley
How he got here: Undrafted free agent, signed in 2016
Why he’s stayed: 28 saves

Foley emerged as Hinch’s top lockdown option, tied for ninth in MLB in saves. At 6-foot-4, Foley generates great power down the mound, with a sinker that averages 96.9 mph and a slider that helped him induce an overall ground-ball rate of 47.8%, which ranked in Statcast’s 78th percentile. Overall, the Tigers were 47-22 in games that Foley pitched during the regular season, underscoring his value protecting a lead.

LHP Sean Guenther
How he got here: Waiver claim in Novemer 2022, called up on Aug. 1
Why he’s stayed: 0.78 ERA in 23 innings

Harris loves waiver claim projects, and Guenther might be that group’s poster boy. The 28-year-old hadn’t pitched in MLB since a 14-outing stint -- all team losses -- with the Marlins in 2021. He doesn’t throw hard, with a fastball that averages 90.1 mph, but its sinking tendencies, coupled with a splitter and slider, helped him generate a 63.2% ground-ball rate that was MLB’s fifth-lowest among 541 pitchers with at least 20 innings. He’s yet to surrender a homer.

RHP Brenan Hanifee
How he got here: Signed Minor League contract last December
Why he’s stayed: Seven outings of at least two innings

Like Guenther, Hanifee was called up after the Tigers’ selloff at the Trade Deadline. He’s thrice been used as an opener, has been a setup man (with eight holds) and above all, is a length option for Hinch, having gone beyond one inning in half of his 22 outings, including playoffs.

LHP Tyler Holton
How he got here: Waiver claim in February 2023
Why he’s stayed: He dominates lefties

Aside from the first inning on Saturday, when he failed to record an out and surrendered a pair of knocks to lefties Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor, the southpaw has held lefties to a .458 OPS. Moreover, Holton’s path to Detroit was fascinating -- the Tigers were seeking a lefty reinforcement after Andrew Chafin opted out of his contract after 2022. But when Chafin signed with the D-backs, Holton was the odd man out, designated for assignment then claimed by Detroit.

LHP Brant Hurter
How he got here: 7th round Draft pick in 2021
Why he’s stayed: Effective in bulk

Developed as a starter, Hurter also came up after the Deadline and successfully transitioned into a bulk-innings role, pitching at least five innings in six of his 10 outings. Overall, in games that he started or was Detroit’s first reliever, the Tigers went 7-1 -- headlined by his 5 2/3 innings in relief vs. Baltimore on Sept. 13, when they finished one out shy of completing a combined no-hitter. The southpaw also has the most unique delivery among this group, one in which it looks like he’s cradling a baby.

RHP Ty Madden
How he got here: Supplemental 1st round pick in 2021
Why he’s stayed: Effective in bulk

When the Tigers selected Madden No. 32 overall in 2021, they didn’t know if he was a starter or reliever. His ‘24 season has been fascinating, given that -- yet to make his MLB debut despite the lofty Draft designation three years prior -- he began the campaign at Double-A Erie then transitioned to Triple-A Toledo, where he carried a 7.97 ERA in 18 outings. His worst start, when he surrendered nine runs on 10 hits on June 23, actually underscored his maturation on the mound: the Tigers essentially left him out there to see how he’d respond, specifically wanting to see him continuing developing his splitter. His strikeout rate climbed to 27.6%, and he was in the Majors two months later.