The Detroit Tigers just pulled off one of baseball’s most quietly effective front-office maneuvers: cut a player loose … then bring him right back.
Right-hander Tanner Rainey is returning to the Tigers on a minor league contract, according to his MLB.com profile page — a week after the Tigers designated him for assignment and non-tendered him at the deadline. This isn't a contradiction; it's business –– and good business, at that.
By non-tendering Rainey, the Tigers sidestepped arbitration and the estimated $1.6 million price tag that likely would’ve come with it. That projection, courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors' Matt Swartz, was more than Detroit wanted to guarantee for a reliever who is still working his way back to full form.