Lakeland, Fla. — If you just look at the numbers, you might question why the Tigers bothered to take right-handed pitcher Nick Kuzia in the minor league Rule 5 draft last December.
Signed by the San Diego Padres as an undrafted free agent out of UMass-Lowell in 2017, he’s banged around as kind of an organizational floater, finally reaching Triple A last season. In four minor league seasons, he’s posted an ERA over 4.0 and a WHIP just under 1.4.