Tigers announce roster move following John Brebbia decision

The Detroit Tigers, with questions and depth issues in their bullpen, have made a roster move ahead of their series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which begins on Tuesday, June 17th. The Tigers dipped into the waiver pool and added a former Philadelphia Phillies reliever who was released just a few days prior.

According to the Detroit Tigers PR account on Twitter/X, the Tigers have claimed former Phillies reliever Carlos Hernandez off waivers. Hernandez will be placed on the big-league roster, as he doesn't have any Minor League options remaining.

— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) June 16, 2025

The former Phillies reliever heads to Detroit amid the bullpen issues plaguing the Tigers. With Will Vest banged up, Tyler Owens potentially being sent back down to Triple-A, and the Tigers designating John Brebbia for assignment, the bullpen is in flux.

Hernandez had a stint with the Kansas City Royals before joining the Phillies at the beginning of the 2025 season. With the Phillies in 2025, Hernandez had a 5.26 ERA across 25 appearances and 25.2 innings total.

In his Phillies stint to begin the year, Hernandez allowed 32 hits, 15 earned runs, four home runs, 13 walks, while striking out 23. While his ERA was above 5.00, he wasn't too far below average for the Phillies, with his 80 OPS+ after 25 appearances.

Across Hernandez's six-year MLB career, he has a 4.98 ERA and 0.6 WAR, along with an 8-19 record. His pitching has been better than it was in the middle of his career, but his 3.68 ERA and 1.7 WAR 2021 season was the best example of his potential on an MLB mound that he's shown yet.

The Tigers bring Hernandez into the fold and will have him in the Major Leagues right away. A corresponding move is coming, and the Tigers will be down a different reliever. But, with the issues in the bullpen, getting a reliever who has MLB experience and has shown to be decent at times is well worth a shot in the dark on the waiver wire.