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The Detroit Tigers have added a new reliever to their bullpen.
Right-handed reliever Luke Jackson — a 10-year MLB veteran recently released by the Texas Rangers — signed a one-year contract, joining the Tigers on Saturday, July 26. The Tigers will pay him the prorated MLB minimum for the remainder of the 2025 season, while the Rangers cover the rest of his $1.5 million salary.
The Tigers activated Jackson for Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.
“There’s no question we’ve been cycling through some arms,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Saturday’s game. “I feel for some of the arms that are now gone, but Luke, he’s going to get an opportunity here.”
Jackson has approximately $650,000 remaining on his $1.5 million contract. The Rangers will pay about $400,000; the Tigers will pay about $250,000.
The Rangers released Jackson on Friday, July 25.
Before that, Jackson was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Wednesday, July 23.
“A veteran guy who, I think, has some upside to recapture some of the usage that he’s been in the past, the swing-and-miss that’s not been there this year,” Hinch said. “The breaking ball is real. He is a guy who’s been there and done that a little bit. He’ll get an opportunity to showcase his stuff when I get him in the game.”
In 2025, Jackson posted a 4.11 ERA with 19 walks and 24 strikeouts across 35 innings in 39 games for the Rangers. The 33-year-old owns a 4.23 ERA over nearly 400 innings in 10 MLB seasons, spanning 377 appearances. He won the World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, when he had a 1.98 ERA in 71 games.
He throws a slider more than 50% of the time, following by a four-seam fastball and curveball. His fastball averages 94.3 mph, maxing out at 96.6 mph. His slider has a 26.5% whiff rate this season, though it had a 32.1% whiff rate last season.
The Tigers need a swing-and-miss reliever familiar with high-leverage situations.
Jackson is neither.
He ranks in the fifth percentile in walk rate (12.5%), the seventh percentile in strikeout rate (15.8%), the 23rd percentile in chase rate (25.7%) and the 28th percentile in whiff rate (22.4%), but his elite 54.2% ground-ball rate ranks in the 91st percentile.
He racked up eight of nine saves in his first 12 appearances, working as the Rangers’ closer to open the season, but he has just one save in his past 27 outings, usually appearing in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings.
Now, Jackson joins the Tigers.
He will receive an opportunity to contribute immediately, possibly in the later innings.
“This could be anywhere,” Hinch said of how long Jackson could stay with the Tigers, “because Luke has been through the league and has run the gauntlet, and he’s pitched in the back end of games this year.”
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Before Jackson, the Tigers took chances on right-handed reliever Carlos Hernández for 37 days and right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb for two days.
Both relievers were designated for assignment.
“We try to give opportunity when it’s there, and to the guys that we feel like can help us win,” Hinch said. “On the front end, I don’t know how long this opportunity is going to be for some of these guys. Performance matters, and certainly, we expect Luke to have a better impact.”
An array of other relievers have tried and failed to stick in the Tigers’ bullpen this season, including free-agent signee John Brebbia, $10 million mainstay Kenta Maeda and journeyman Matt Gage.
The Tigers hope Jackson improves their track record — and their bullpen.
“The message is when opportunity opens up, however big or small, try to come in and take it and run it,” Hinch said. “Clearly, we are searching for the right combination of bullpen arms to stabilize things.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
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