The Detroit Tigers have appointed Kyle Hendricks, a recently retired MLB right-hander, as a special assistant in their baseball operations department. Although Hendricks never played for the Tigers, his connections with President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris and General Manager Jeff Greenberg from their time together with the Cubs played a crucial role in his hiring. At 36, he will focus on pitching development, drawing on his successful 12-year career, where he boasted a career 3.79 ERA, despite lacking traditional power pitching attributes.

By the Numbers
  • Kyle Hendricks retired with 105 wins and a 3.79 ERA over 1,745 innings pitched.
  • His career average fastball velocity was just 87.2 mph, significantly lower than modern standards.
State of Play
  • Hendricks is expected to leverage his command and strategic pitching approach to help develop young talent in Detroit.
  • There鈥檚 a trend of ex-players, like Hendricks, taking on roles in front offices across MLB.
What's Next

Hendricks could potentially follow a path similar to other former players who transitioned into significant front-office roles, and his long-term aspirations within the Tigers organization remain to be seen.

Bottom Line

The hiring of Kyle Hendricks signifies the Tigers鈥� commitment to enhancing their pitching development, capitalizing on a unique approach that relies on skill over velocity, which could benefit the team's young talent moving forward.