Tigers sign Konnor Pilkington to a Minor League deal

The Tigers are adding lefties Connor Pilkington on a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 28-year-old made 32 appearances in the Nationals’ bullpen last season. He was designated for assignment last week and declared free agency. Pilkington’s deal includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. It’s worth $1.2 million if he’s in the big leagues, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

The former Guardian delivered 28 1/3 innings of a 4.45 ERA in his lone season in Washington. He increased his strikeout rate to a career-best 27.6%, but his walk rate also increased to 13.8%. Pilkington has walked batters at a clip of 12.4% or higher in all three of his MLB seasons.

Pilkington emerged as a starter for Cleveland in 2022. He kept his ERA under 4.00 through 15 appearances (11 starts), but his xFIP and SIERA were more than a point higher. Pilkington played in just one match with the Guardians the following season. Early this year he was sent to Arizona for cash. He didn’t reach the major leagues with the Diamondbacks.

The Nats added Pilkington to a minor league deal ahead of the 2025 season. He was called up in July to serve as a full-time reliever. The permanent move to the bullpen saw Pilkington’s arsenal take a step forward. Starters moving to the bullpen typically see an increase in velocity, and the veteran lefty saw a 2+ mph bump on his fastball as a reliever. Pilkington also increased his use of sliders, and the pitch recorded an elite whiff rate of 46.3%. He now gets a chance to compete for a spot in Detroit’s bullpen.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images