The Tigers have re-signed right-hander Brendan White to a minor league deal, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. White, who was non-tendered by Detroit last month, receives a non-roster invitation to big league Spring Training as part of the deal and will earn $765K when in the majors.
White, 26, got his start in the Tigers organization as a 26th-round pick in the 2019 draft. After making his pro debut shortly after being drafted, White didn’t pitch during the cancelled minor league season in 2020 but returned to the mound in 2021 for the club’s High-A affiliate. In 26 appearances (18 starts) at the level, White posted a solid enough 4.17 ERA in 101 1/3 innings of work with a 23.9% strikeout rate against a 6% walk rate. Despite those solid results, White was moved to the bullpen upon his arrival in Double-A the following year. That change in role came with excellent results as he dominated opposing hitters to the tune of a 2.67 ERA in 67 1/3 innings of work. His walk rate held steady at 6.3%, but his strikeout rate ticked up to 27.1% in the new role.
That not only earned him a promotion to Triple-A Toledo in 2023, but also opened the door for White to make his big league debut. The right-hander split his time between the majors and Triple-A in 2023 and totaled 77 2/3 innings of work between the two levels. At Triple-A, White posted an excellent 30.9% strikeout rate while walking 6.8% of opponents despite a rather pedestrian 4.14 ERA. In the majors, White struggled to a 5.09 ERA (86 ERA+) despite excellent peripherals. He punched out 24.9% of opponents against an 8.5% walk rate. On top of that, White also floated an impressive 51.9% groundball rate in the majors.
The right-hander’s strong peripherals seemed likely to earn him a spot in the Tigers’ bullpen mix for the 2024 season, but elbow inflammation kept him off the mound for almost the entirety of 2024. He pitched just 7 1/3 innings total last year across four levels of the minors before being placed on the 60-day IL in the majors back in August. Following White’s lost season, the Tigers opted to designate him for assignment and subsequently non-tender him last month. That made him a free agent eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 organizations, but he ultimately will return to Detroit on a non-roster pact and attempt to work his way back to the majors.
The first step in that process figures to be getting healthy, a box which Petzold reports is already checked. He notes that the right-hander underwent a procedure to address a right radial nerve injury back in August and was back throwing off a mound the following month, allowing him to participate in a normal offseason throwing program. Assuming he stays healthy going forward, it’s not at all difficult to imagine White pitching his way back onto the Tigers’ roster at some point in 2025, and perhaps even in time for Opening Day 2025.
