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Detroit Tigers option last year's closer Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo before Opening Day
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- Detroit Tigers option last year's closer Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo before Opening Day
The Detroit Tigers optioned right-handed reliever Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday, one day before Thursday's Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers , leaving him off the 2025 Opening Day roster .
Foley, who is under contract for $3.15 million after his first year of salary arbitration, worked as the Tigers' closer for almost the entire 2024 season, though he did not appear in the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians .
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Instead of Foley, right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee made the Opening Day roster.
"It's tough news when, instead of flying to Los Angeles , you're flying to Triple-A, but we believe in the things we can do," manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday afternoon, discussing Foley's demotion. "A couple guys are throwing the ball a little bit better, and we're going to take a bit of a hotter hand into the season while continuing to watch daily to see when he can factor back in."
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Detroit Tigers pitcher Jason Foley throws during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.
Hanifee, 26, earned his way into the eight-man bullpen by completing 10⅔ scoreless innings with three walks and nine strikeouts in nine games during spring training. He also served as a key contributor in 2024, posting a 1.84 ERA with six walks and 23 strikeouts across 29⅓ innings in 21 games.
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Meanwhile, Foley pitched his way off the Opening Day roster.
The 29-year-old, whose sinker averages 97 mph, struggled this spring with a 6.14 ERA, zero walks and 10 strikeouts across 7⅓ innings in eight games. In 2024, he had a 3.15 ERA with 20 walks and 46 strikeouts across 60 innings in 69 relief appearances.
Foley also racked up 28 saves in 32 chances last season, but he lost the closer role in the postseason after being pulled in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Houston Astros . He did not pitch in any of the Tigers' final six playoff games.
In his four-year MLB career, Foley owns a 3.16 ERA over 199⅔ innings in 210 relief appearances, with 35 saves.
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Oftentimes, Foley struggles against left-handed hitters and fails to generate swings and misses, and his ground-ball rate plummeted from 56.6% in 2023 to 47.8% in 2024.
"That was a hard conversation for him," Hinch said, "and a harsh reality that he does have some things to work on, and we need him to do it because we need him. Our best bullpen can function in a lot of different ways, but being honest, we need a good Jason Foley . He can be a dominant reliever."
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The big question: Who will close games for the Tigers without Foley on the roster?
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tommy Kahnle practices a drill during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025.
The Tigers have several high-leverage relievers capable of pitching in the ninth inning, including right-hander Tommy Kahnle , righty Beau Brieske , righty Will Vest and lefty Tyler Holton .
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None of them are experienced closers.
"I think we can do a few things with our bullpen and go with some important ingredients," Hinch said. "Best stuff and best execution are two things that I really look at. I get asked a ton about roles and who's going to do this and who's going to do that. I always go back to best stuff and best execution for the situation."
Kahnle, who signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract this offseason, racked up eight saves in the first 10 seasons of his MLB career, including one save for the New York Yankees in 2024. The 35-year-old had a 2.11 ERA across 42⅔ innings, including an elite 36% whiff rate and an above-average 25.7% strikeout rate despite a below-average 10.6% walk rate.
It's possible Kahnle gets the first opportunity in the ninth inning.
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Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers option Jason Foley to Triple-A Toledo
