Detroit Tigers trade targets to fix bullpen problem at All-Star break
On “Days of Roar” podcast, Evan Petzold evaluates relief pitching for Detroit Tigers at MLB All-Star break — and the big need to win the World Series.
ARLINGTON, TX — Right-handed reliever Tanner Rainey helped the Washington Nationals win the World Series in 2019. He appeared in nine of 16 games throughout the postseason, including four of seven games in the World Series.
He now pitches for the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers signed Rainey — an eight-year MLB veteran with nearly 200 innings — to a minor league contract Friday, July 18, assigning him to Triple-A Toledo.
The 32-year-old — the No. 71 overall pick in the 2015 draft — has pitched 197 innings for three teams in his MLB career: Cincinnati Reds (2018), Nationals (2019-24) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2025). He underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2022.
Rainey owns a 5.44 ERA with 131 walks and 245 strikeouts in 209 relief appearances. His 27.7% career strikeout rate is above average, but his 14.8% walk rate is a red flag.
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The bad news: His strikeout rate has declined over the past two seasons, dropping to a below-average 19.8% with the Nationals in 2024 and Pirates in 2025. At the same time, ongoing command issues have remained a concern.
The Pirates released Rainey on July 8.
Rainey relied exclusively on two pitches — slider and four-seam fastball — during his 7⅔ innings with the Pirates in 2025. His fastball averaged 95 mph and maxed out at 97.9 mph; his slider generated an elite 58.5% whiff rate.
Nearly 92% of the Nats IP in the NLCS came from 6 P and hey, can I interest you in a 26-year-old rookie who throws 101, had one of the highest slider whiff rates ever posted on record, and can barely throw strikes?
Get to know Tanner Rainey.
MORE-> https://t.co/cljw6KiSr6 pic.twitter.com/KHkXg2G37x
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 21, 2019
In 2025, Rainey has pitched in 11 games with the Pirates and 17 games in Triple-A. He had a 10.57 ERA with six walks and nine strikeouts over 7⅔ innings for the Pirates; he had a 3.18 ERA with nine walks and 21 strikeouts across 17 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis.
His fastball-slider combination remains good enough to earn another opportunity in the big leagues — and the Tigers would benefit from Rainey’s high-velocity fastball and swing-and-miss slider in their bullpen.
But he needs to throw strikes.
The problem? He has never consistently done that at any point in his career.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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