Detroit Tigers Make Unorthodox Hire in Attempt to Jumpstart Pitching Staff

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Framber Valdez Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers Make Unorthodox Hire in Attempt to Jumpstart Pitching Staff

Originally posted on Detroit Tigers on SI
By Michael Brauner | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 7:00 PM ET

The Detroit Tigers have made an interesting new hire on their coaching staff, which could shake up the way they operate and potentially offer a boost to their starting rotation and bullpen.

As first reported on Thursday afternoon by Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the Tigers have recently hired retired MLB veteran pitcher Kyle Hendricks as a special assistant.

Stavenhagen revealed that Hendricks' relationship with Detroit brass including president of baseball operations Scott Harris and general manager Jeff Greenberg from when they were with the Chicago Cubs played a factor here.

While hiring someone who was pitching in the big leagues as recently as last season to an assistant role on the staff may be a little bit unorthodox, perhaps a seasoned set of eyes like Hendricks could provide some value on the field.

Tigers Hope to Gain Value Out of Hendricks

As someone who never overpowered hitters but pitched around them with cunning smarts and an ability to locate, Hendricks -- who earned the nickname "The Professor" -- has a ton of wisdom to share.

Whether this is going to be specifically on the field or not remains to be seen, but Stavenhagen did say the focus for the World Series champion is going to be on "pitching development." This could mean anything from advising young arms to analyzing film with Chris Fetter and pinpointing where Detroit can get better.

Hendricks had a 3.79 ERA throughout his 12-year playing career in more than 300 starts and close to 2,000 innings, as experienced as anyone around whom the organization could have brought in.

Tigers Could Really Use Help from Hendricks

On the surface, Detroit has not been horrible pitching-wise by any means, sitting in the bottom half of the league in terms of total runs allowed. If they are going to accomplish what they hope to this season though, they are going to need to take a step.

Guys like Jack Flaherty who have struggled out of the gate could potentially use a second opinion on why things have not gone his way, and if Hendricks could be of any sort of help there, the Tigers have nothing to lose by bringing him in.

Detroit may or may not gain something from employing the veteran right-hander to the staff, but bringing smart and accomplished people into the building is never a bad decision, and that is what the front office is doing here.

This article first appeared on Detroit Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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