Ahead of their matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, the Detroit Tigers announced that they had claimed former St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Andre Granillo off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
The Tigers optioned Granillo to Triple-A Toledo. Their 40-man roster is now full, so the team doesn’t need to make a corresponding move.
Detroit Tigers Claim Former Cardinals Pitcher Andre Granillo From Nationals Before Phillies Game
GettyThe Nationals have acquired reliever Andre Granillo, who could factor into the closer mix.
Granillo, 26, made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2025. He made 14 appearances for the club, posting a 4.71 ERA with 18 strikeouts and seven walks over 21 innings.
The Cardinals traded Granillo to the Nationals on Feb. 10, 2026, for right-hander George Soriano. Granillo made just eight appearances with Washington this season, recording a rough 9.64 ERA with three strikeouts and eight walks over 9 1/3 innings. He had been pitching for Triple-Rochester over the past couple of months before being designated for assignment on July 4.
The Cardinals selected Granillo in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Riverside. Over parts of six seasons in the minors, the right-hander has recorded a 3.93 ERA with 362 strikeouts and 147 walks in 277 1/3 innings across 208 relief appearances.
Detroit Tigers Right Now
The Tigers are coming off a 10-2 victory against the Phillies at Comerica Park on Friday. With the Twin, Detroit’s record improved to 44-50.
After a rough start to the season, the Tigers have put themselves back in playoff contention. As of Saturday morning, the Tigers are just 4 1/2 games back of the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central and 2 1/2 games back of the Seattle Mariners for the third American League Wild Card spot.
If the Tigers were in the National League, it’d be a near guarantee that they would sell at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. However, since the American League has just five teams with winning records, the Tigers are still alive in the playoff race.
It isn’t far-fetched to suggest that Detroit could reach the playoffs. The team has won nine of its last 10 games and has a +31 run differential, which is the third best in the American League. The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the AL at 55-37, yet their run differential is just +32.
If the Tigers struggled over the next few weeks, it’d likely be in their best interest to sell. With left-hander Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in the world, set to be a free agent at the end of the year and likely not re-signing with the Tigers, Detroit may want to deal him before he hits the open market this winter.
However, if the Tigers continue to play well, it would be a massive mistake for them to deal Skubal. In fact, if they’re in the thick of the postseason race in a few weeks, they should probably add to their team. As referenced earlier, the American League is extremely weak this year, and the Tigers have a legitimate chance to make a deep postseason run despite their rough start.
Detroit Tigers Claim Former Cardinals Pitcher From Nationals Before Phillies Game