Tigers Sign Waguespack to One-Year Deal
Detroit adds right-hander Jacob Waguespack on a $1.3 million guaranteed contract for the 2027 season after he posted a 2.409 ERA for the club in 2026.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Baseball
The Detroit Tigers signed RHP Jacob Waguespack to a one-year, $1.3 million guaranteed major league contract for 2027, with performance bonuses that could raise the total to $1.5 million. The club also exercised its 2027 option on RHP Drew Anderson and declined the option on RHP Kenley Jansen.
Why it matters
The deal keeps a pitcher who posted a 2.409 ERA over 47 innings for Detroit in 2026 on the roster, giving the Tigers a known bullpen arm as they set their 2027 pitching staff. Decisions on Anderson and Jansen shape the same group of relief options.
Waguespack struck out 35 batters over 47 innings for Detroit in 2026 while posting a 2.409 ERA. The extraction does not say whether the performance bonuses are tied to innings, appearances, or other benchmarks.
The players
Jacob Waguespack
A right-handed pitcher who has moved through several organizations since the Pirates drafted him in 2012 and made his major league debut with the Blue Jays in 2019.
Detroit Tigers
A Major League Baseball franchise based in Detroit that competes in the American League Central division.
The details
The Tigers also activated seven players off the 60-day injured list. Waguespack was drafted by the Pirates in the 37th round in 2012 but did not sign, played three years at Mississippi, then signed with the Phillies as an undrafted free agent in 2015 before the Phillies traded him to the Blue Jays in 2018.
Timeline
2012: Pittsburgh selects Waguespack in the 37th round of the MLB Draft but he does not sign.
2015: Philadelphia signs Waguespack as an undrafted free agent.
2018 trade deadline: Philadelphia trades Waguespack to Toronto for Aaron Loup.
2026 season: Waguespack pitches for Detroit.
Season Trajectory
Waguespack's path from a 37th-round pick who never signed with Pittsburgh to a multi-team major leaguer shows how depth arms can carry bullpen value. Detroit's decision to retain him for 2027 signals that the club expects that depth to matter in its pitching plans.
The contract's performance bonuses give Waguespack a path to $1.5 million if he meets the unspecified benchmarks. For fantasy managers, his 2026 line of 35 strikeouts over 47 innings is the most concrete figure to track for 2027 relief usage.
The takeaway
Mid-round picks and undrafted arms can build real major league careers, and Waguespack's move to Detroit shows how a bullpen role can come from multiple organizations rather than one. Watch how Detroit uses him in 2027 to see whether a 2.409 ERA translates into a larger late-inning role.
Further reading
Follow more Tigers roster moves in our Baseball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Heavy.
