Not a lot went right for the Tigers across the final month of the 2025 season. They had one lineup regular hit better than .300, hit .230 as a team and had a team ERA of 4.78. 

One of the biggest reasons for that inflated ERA is due to the struggles of their bullpen, which posted a 4.58 ERA across the final month with eight losses and four blown saves. 

While the Tigers bullpen responded with a 3.26 ERA in the postseason, two of their three losses to the Mariners in the American League Division Series, which shined a new light on their need for bullpen additions. 

And make additions they did. Along with bringing back Kyle Finnegan on a two-year, $19 million contract, the Tigers also signed Kenley Jansen to a one-year, $9 million contract, which adds yet another reliever with closing experience to the back of Detroit’s bullpen. 

In fact, there’s no active pitcher in baseball with more closing experience than Jansen, who has 476 career saves and is just three away from passing Lee Smith for third place on the all-time saves list. 

While the 38-year-old isn’t the same kind of pitcher that he was early in his career, he’s coming off a season where he recorded 29 saves with a 2.59 ERA in 59 innings with the Angels, marking his best season since 2021. 

The signing of Jansen also gives the Tigers the unique distinction of being the first team in MLB history to have three relievers on their Opening Day roster with 20+ saves season on their resume (H/T to Ilitch Sports Entertainment’s Ben Fidelman).

Jansen has recorded 13 seasons with 20+ saves, while Finnegan has three and Will Vest has one.

According to @EliasSports, there’s never been an Opening Day roster with three players having 20+ saves the previous season.

As of now, the Tigers would have three: Kenley Jansen (29), Kyle Finnegan (24), and Will Vest (23). pic.twitter.com/QKquhvHwls

— Ben Fidelman (@bfidelman) December 22, 2025

Vest served as Detroit’s “closer” for most of the season last year, but he’ll likely be demoted down a set-up role with Jansen and Finnegan in the fold. Although Jansen hasn’t been shy about his desire to reach 500 career saves, the Tigers haven’t really had a full-time closer since AJ Hinch took over as manager. 

Gregory Soto’s 30 save season in 2022 stands out as the high-water mark for any closer under Hinch’s run, but that came in a year where Detroit won just 66 games. 

That usage is the reason why we’re not scared of the Tigers’ bullpen… yet. 

The Guardians will have their work cut out for the Tigers’ bullpen

Sure, seeing Jansen walk out of the bullpen doors in the ninth inning will be intimidating, but it’s not as intimidating as it was at the start of his career. 

Even though last season was the best year of his career since his time with the Dodgers, 44.6% of the balls hitters put in play off him last year were categorized as hard-hit, and only 28.6% of the balls put in play against him were on the ground. 

He’s still going to get plenty of 1-2-3 innings, but he’s also more prone to blow ups than at any point in his career. 

The top bat flips of 2025

No 3: Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first career walk-off home run ✅ pic.twitter.com/kMrrEua9Yv

— MLB (@MLB) December 23, 2025

If anything, Finnegan is the scariest reliever of the bunch. He struggled at the start of 2025 with the Nationals, but was lights out after joining the Tigers (1.50 ERA in 18 innings). But it seems like he’ll be used in more of a set up role in front of Jansen, which may not be the best use of skills. 

Meanwhile, the Guardians have a clear hierarchy led by Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Shawn Armstrong. While they’ll undoubtedly have games where they struggle (no one is perfect over an 162-game season), Smith and Gaddis helped anchor a Guardians bullpen that posted a 2.73 ERA over the final month of 2025 and has gotten better this offseason.

Next season should bring about plenty of close games between the two clubs, so we shouldn’t have to wait long to see the back-end of both bullpens work against each other.