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Rockies get 6-foot-8 fireballer RJ Petit from Tigers with No. 1 overall pick in Rule 5 Draft
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- Rockies get 6-foot-8 fireballer RJ Petit from Tigers with No. 1 overall pick in Rule 5 Draft
Rockies get 6-foot-8 fireballer RJ Petit from Tigers with No. 1 overall pick in Rule 5 Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Colorado Rockies ' league-worst record in 2025 came with one reward: The No. 1 overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft.
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They used it in style on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings, taking a 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher, RJ Petit.
Petit comes from the Detroit Tigers ' organization.
His fastball reaches the upper-90s, and he's got a strong slider.
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Petit is listed at 300 pounds to go with his 6-8 frame.
He's 26 years old and was a 14th-round pick in 2021 out of Charleston Southern.
Petit pitched in Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Combined across the two levels, he had a 2.44 ERA. He struck out 79 batters in 66.1 innings pitched.
The Rockies will pay the Tigers $100,000 for the rights to Petit.
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Petit has to stay on the MLB roster all season, or he has to be offered back to Detroit for $50,000.
He's a strong pickup by the Rockies, who know they can likely use him at the MLB level all season and thus keep him long term.
It also makes sense that the Tigers didn't protect a reliever in his mid-20s from selection.
Both sides probably come out fine on this.
