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 Nov. 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 Feb. 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, as 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.