If you’ve been following the Detroit Tigers over the last few months, you know the bullpen has basically been a game of musical chairs. Some of these moves felt like long-overdue housecleaning, while others were actually kind of gut-wrenching for the fans who’ve stuck by these guys through the rebuild. We're talking specifically about the shuffle involving Ryan Kreidler, Alex Lange, and Drew Sommers (and yeah, there’s often some confusion with Jake Sommers, but Drew is the one making the waves right now).
The Tigers are in a weird spot. They’re trying to turn the corner from "scrappy underdog" to "actual contender," and that means the leash is getting shorter for everyone.
The DFA of Ryan Kreidler: Why the Tigers Finally Moved On
Honestly, it felt like Ryan Kreidler had nine lives in Detroit. Every time you thought he was permanently ticketed for Toledo, there he was again, popping up on the 26-man roster because someone else got a hamstring tweak. But in late August 2025, the Tigers finally designated Kreidler for assignment.
It wasn't a shocker, but it was the end of an era for a guy who was once a top-10 prospect in the system.
The problem was never the glove. Kreidler could play anywhere—short, third, the outfield—and look like a gold glover doing it. The bat, though? That was another story entirely. He was hitting .105 with an OPS that looked more like a low-grade fever (.295). You just can't keep a guy on a big-league roster when he's statistically 107% worse than the average MLB hitter.
Basically, the Tigers ran out of options—literally. Kreidler was set to be out of minor league options heading into 2026. By cutting ties when they did, they opened up a 40-man spot for a fresh arm. He eventually cleared waivers and ended up in the Minnesota Twins organization, but for Tigers fans, the Kreidler experiment is officially over.
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Alex Lange and the Emotional Rollercoaster to Kansas City
The most polarizing part of the Tigers roster moves involved Alex Lange. If you remember 2023, Lange was "the man." He saved 26 games and looked like he had the nastiest hammer curveball in the American League. Then the wheels fell off.
Injuries are a beast. Lange had to go under the knife for right lat surgery in June 2024. He spent over a year grinding through rehab, finally making a triumphant return to the mound on August 18, 2025. He threw one scoreless inning against Houston, got a strikeout, and fans were ready to welcome him back as the late-inning savior.
Then, four days later, the Tigers optioned him to Triple-A Toledo.
It felt cold. A.J. Hinch and the front office were looking for consistency, and they weren't sure Lange’s health or command was back to 2023 levels. By November 2025, the team decided to move in a different direction entirely, designating him for assignment to make room for prospect protection.
Lange didn't stay a free agent for long. He signed a one-year, $900,000 deal with the Kansas City Royals. It’s a classic low-risk move for KC, and honestly, don't be surprised if he finds his form again and haunts Detroit in divisional play.
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Who is Drew Sommers and Why Does He Have a Roster Spot?
When the Tigers cleared out Kreidler and Lange, the beneficiary was Drew Sommers. Now, don't get him confused with Jake Sommers, a righty who has bounced around the Cardinals and Rockies systems. Drew is a 25-year-old lefty reliever who the Tigers scooped up and watched dominate in the minors.
Before his call-up, Sommers was carving through Triple-A hitters. We’re talking about a 2.53 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00.
In a bullpen that has struggled to find reliable left-handed depth behind Tyler Holton, Sommers represents the new philosophy in Detroit: high strikeout rates and cheap years of control. He’s not a "name" yet, but his debut in late 2025 showed enough flashes of swing-and-miss stuff that the front office felt comfortable letting veterans walk to keep him around.
What This Means for the 2026 Bullpen
The Tigers aren't messing around this winter. By moving on from the "what-ifs" like Kreidler and the "used-to-bes" like Lange, they’ve cleared the deck for a massive veteran overhaul.
Take a look at what they've done lately:
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- Signed Kenley Jansen to a $9 million deal.
- Brought in Kyle Finnegan on a two-year contract.
- Protected prospects like Thayron Liranzo and Hao-Yu Lee on the 40-man.
The message is clear: the "rebuild" bullpen is dead. The 2026 Tigers are betting on established veterans to close games while young guys like Drew Sommers fill the middle innings.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you’re trying to figure out how these Detroit Tigers roster moves affect the team's outlook for the 2026 season, here is the reality:
- Watch the Royals games closely: Alex Lange is a prime bounce-back candidate. If he's healthy, the Tigers might regret letting him go for nothing, especially in high-leverage spots against his former teammates.
- Monitor Drew Sommers' usage: If Sommers stays on the 26-man roster through Spring Training, it means the Tigers view him as their primary lefty specialist. His K/9 rate is the metric to watch.
- The 40-man is still fluid: With guys like Gleyber Torres in the mix and several prospects newly added, the Tigers still have some tough decisions to make before Opening Day. Another trade involving middle-infield depth wouldn't be shocking.
The Tigers' decision to move on from Kreidler and Lange while elevating Sommers wasn't just about one week in August—it was a declaration that the roster's floor needed to be higher. Whether the new veteran-heavy bullpen actually holds up is the $25 million question.
Next Steps: You can track the Tigers' spring training performance by monitoring the WHIP (Walks + Hits per Innings Pitched) of the new veteran signings compared to the league average of 1.30. If Jansen and Finnegan stay below that mark, Detroit's playoff drought might finally end.