Tigers Option Hanifee to Toledo, Setting Opening Day Bullpen Roster

The Detroit Tigers locked in their Opening Day bullpen by optioning right-hander Brenan Hanifee to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, with Enmanuel De Jesus and Brant Hurter claiming the final two relief spots on the 26-man roster.

The signing of Connor Seabold and the emergence of lefty Enmanuel De Jesus forced a tough conversation with Hanifee, who was one of the final cuts. Hanifee posted a 6.35 ERA, a 1.59 WHIP, and six strikeouts across 5.2 innings in six spring appearances, struggles that ultimately made the decision easier for manager A.J. Hinch. "He struggled with the adjustments he was making this spring," Hinch said. "And I told him to keep at it. The days of having the sole strength of facing just right-handed hitters, it's harder to do that now with the way lineups are being constructed. We want Brenan to continue to address the different weapons he has against lefties."

The Tigers' eight-man bullpen is now set as Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Drew Anderson, Brant Hurter, Connor Seabold, and Enmanuel De Jesus. De Jesus, a left-hander who spent 2025 in the KBO, earned his roster spot through a remarkable run. He pitched for Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic, going 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA and a 0.55 WHIP, striking out 11 in 7.1 innings. De Jesus made a big impression with his start for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, and that performance was impossible for Detroit's front office to ignore when setting a roster.

The cut stings given what Hanifee showed a year ago. In 54 appearances with the Tigers last season, he went 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 60 innings. His career numbers across 78 relief appearances with Detroit carry a 2.77 ERA, a baseline that suggests this option is a detour rather than a dead end.

Hinch reminded Hanifee he was only a phone call away from returning. "We know things are going to come up and we're going to need more than just these eight relievers," Hinch said. "He needs to go down there and attack the lefties as confidently as he attacks righties."

That directive cuts to the core of why Hanifee is headed back to Toledo. He throws a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup, and his game is built around inducing ground balls, but his platoon splits have become a liability at a time when teams construct lineups specifically to exploit right-handed relievers facing left-handed bats. Getting reps in Toledo against a wider mix of hitters is precisely the kind of developmental work that could accelerate a return call.

What remains a question is why the Tigers felt they needed to sign Seabold at all, this close to Opening Day, when they had pitchers like Hanifee with proven track records with the club outside of spring results. Seabold himself carried a 6.75 ERA in 6 2/3 spring innings before the Blue Jays cut him. It's a roster construction gamble that puts a well-established arm in Triple-A in favor of a reclamation project with less organizational history.

Hanifee's path back is well-worn. Last season at Toledo, across six games with one start, he posted a 1.50 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, and seven strikeouts in six innings, demonstrating he can dominate at this level when right. Detroit heads to San Diego for the opener with its roster finalized. For Hanifee, the work begins in Toledo.