Baseball is a cold business. One day you’re the high-leverage arm the manager trusts to shut the door in the ninth, and the next, you’re looking at a pink slip. That’s exactly what happened with the Detroit Tigers and their recent roster shake-up. When news broke that the Tigers DFA veteran pitcher Alex Lange, it felt like the final exclamation point on a bullpen era that just couldn’t quite get over the hump.
It wasn’t just Lange, either. Jason Foley found himself in the same boat. Honestly, if you’ve been following the Tigers' 2025 season, the writing was on the wall. Scott Harris and the front office aren't playing around anymore. They want reliability. They want strikes. Mostly, they want a bullpen that doesn't make fans hold their breath every time the phone rings in the dugout.
Why the Tigers DFA Veteran Pitcher Alex Lange Now
The timing seems weird to some. Why cut loose a guy who, not long ago, looked like the future of the Detroit secondary?
Basically, it comes down to the "walk problem." Lange has always lived on the edge. His curveball is nasty—genuinely elite when it’s on—but the free passes eventually became a tax the Tigers were tired of paying. In the modern MLB, you can't survive with a walk rate that high, especially when you’re trying to protect a slim lead for Tarik Skubal.
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The roster crunch was the final nail. Detroit had to make room for their big winter splashes. You don’t sign Kyle Finnegan to a $16.75 million deal and bring in Kenley Jansen just to let them sit. Someone had to go. To make room for the "proven" guys, the "potential" guys had to be shown the door.
The Rise and Fall of the Hammer Curve
Let’s talk about that 2023 season for a second. Lange was a monster. He looked like the guy. He had that swagger on the mound that Detroit fans love. But 2024 and 2025 were different stories. The velocity was there, sure, but the command was a ghost.
- 2023: High leverage, big saves, looked like an All-Star.
- 2024: Stumbles, trips to Triple-A Toledo, loss of the closer role.
- 2025: Inconsistency that led to the eventual DFA.
It's sort of sad. You hate to see a guy with that much raw talent lose his spot because he can't find the zone. But in a clubhouse that is clearly pivoting toward a "win-now" mentality, sentimentality doesn't keep you on the 40-man roster.
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Scott Harris and the Bullpen Philosophy Shift
If you look at who the Tigers are bringing in, a pattern emerges. It’s not about finding the hardest thrower in the system anymore. It’s about guys who have "been there."
Kenley Jansen is 38. Kyle Finnegan is 34. These aren't project players. They are finished products. The Tigers are essentially saying they are done waiting for young arms like Lange or Foley to "figure it out" at the big-league level. They’d rather pay a premium for a veteran who knows how to navigate a high-leverage eighth inning without walking the bases loaded.
This shift is a direct response to the 2025 collapse. The offense actually took a step forward, which was a nice surprise. Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene were doing their thing. But the pitching? It fell apart down the stretch. You can't make a playoff run with a "pitching chaos" strategy if the chaos mostly involves your own relievers losing the strike zone.
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What’s Next for Alex Lange?
He won’t be unemployed for long. Someone is going to see that 95-mph heater and that sweeping curve and think, "I can fix him."
The Tampa Bay Rays or the Dodgers usually love these kinds of projects. They take a guy with "stuff" who was DFA’d by a frustrated team and turn him into a setup man within three months. It wouldn't be shocking at all to see Lange pitching in a playoff game for someone else by October 2026. For the Tigers, though, that’s a risk they are willing to take. They needed the roster spot for the here and now.
Actionable Insights for Tigers Fans
If you're wondering what this means for the 2026 season, here is the reality of the situation:
- Expect a "Stiffer" Bullpen: With Jansen and Finnegan at the back end, the roles are much more defined. No more "closer by committee" or guessing who comes out for the ninth.
- Watch the Young Starters: Since the bullpen is more veteran-heavy, there is more pressure on guys like Casey Mize and Reese Olson to stay healthy. The "bulk reliever" days might be fading in favor of traditional roles.
- Keep an eye on the Waiver Wire: Just because Lange is gone doesn't mean the roster is set. Scott Harris is famous for "churning" the back end of the roster. If a veteran pitcher with better metrics becomes available, don't be surprised if another DFA happens before Spring Training.
The Tigers are clearly trying to build a bridge to their next window of contention. Moving on from Alex Lange was a tough, clinical decision, but it's one that signals Detroit is tired of being a "developing" team. They want to be a winning one.
To stay ahead of the next roster move, keep a close watch on the Tigers' 40-man count as we approach February. The team still has eyes on adding another veteran starter—possibly a reunion with someone like Chris Bassitt—which would mean even more familiar names might be headed for the assignment gate.