Brewers trade Jacob Waguespack to Tigers for cash considerations

Jacob Waguespack was traded from the Brewers’ Triple-A Nashville affiliate to the Tigers for cash considerations after a 1.66 ERA in 16 relief appearances made him one of the sharper low-cost arms on the board. Detroit did not need to clear a 40-man roster spot to complete the deal, a detail that underscored how little friction there was in adding a 32-year-old right-hander who already looked ready for a larger role.

The return on Milwaukee’s side was initially described as a player to be named later or cash, but the transaction was later clarified as cash. Waguespack, listed at 6-foot-6 and 228 pounds, had signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers over the winter and came to camp as a non-roster invitee, then forced his way back into the conversation with a strong run at Nashville. He also exercised an upward mobility clause in that deal, a mechanism that helped open the door to the move.

The appeal was more than one hot month. In 2025, Waguespack threw 33 relief innings across the Rays’ and Phillies’ Triple-A clubs and posted a 2.45 ERA with 31 strikeouts. At Nashville, his line before the trade sat around 21.2 innings with 11 hits allowed, 15 walks and 33 strikeouts, a profile that mixed swing-and-miss with enough traffic to make him interesting as a bullpen depth piece rather than a simple roster flier. MiLB data also had him at roughly a 1.16 WHIP.

Detroit’s timing was no accident. The Tigers had been cycling through roster changes, with Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Kenley Jansen all returning from the injured list around the same stretch. Waguespack was expected to report to Triple-A Toledo, and he later was selected to the major-league roster, giving the Tigers a pitcher who could move quickly if the command held.

That possibility is rooted in a track record that goes back to Toronto. Waguespack made his major-league debut for the Blue Jays on May 27, 2019, and struck out seven batters in 4.0 relief innings, a franchise record for a reliever in his first MLB game. He later spent time with Tampa Bay before landing in Milwaukee, and his path now runs through Detroit as the Tigers test whether a Triple-A power arm can become something more than organizational churn.