Tigers Make Multiple Minor League Signings Including Sidewinding Righty Reliever

The Detroit Tigers have some work to do this winter to supplement their roster, and in doing so, recently brought in some quality depth pieces.

Jun 8, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A wide shot from high up behind home plate as Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales (7) pitches to Detroit Tigers designated hitter Willi Castro (9) during the third inning at Comerica Park. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers have been hard at work trying to find ways to improve their roster ahead of a 2026 season that has a lot at stake for the franchise. With Tarik Skubal's future up in the air, getting the most out of him for the one remaining year on his contract needs to be a priority if they are unable to retain him, and ensuring the roster is ready is a key component to that.

Each season, injuries end up popping up and set teams back if they are not prepared, so making depth signings, while they may seem insignificant at first, can be the difference between a few more wins or losses. Recently, the Tigers made a few such deals, bringing in four players on minor league contracts, one of whom received a spring training invite.

#Tigers sign right-handed sidearm reliever Scott Effross to minor-league contract (worth $950,000 if in MLB) with invitation to spring training https://t.co/Xfo3coltCC

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) January 5, 2026

The player who did get that invite was right-handed relief pitcher Scott Effross, a side-arm pitcher who has played 88 MLB games. With a 3.59 career ERA and 1.148 WHIP in the Major Leagues, he has shown some quality stuff at times and should be a valuable addition to the bullpen, whether he makes the initial MLB roster or not.

Which Players Did the Tigers Sign in Addition to Scott Effross?

Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

As for the additional three minor league deals that did not get an initial spring training invite, those were starting pitcher Dylan File, relief pitcher Woo-Suk Go and reliever Wandisson Charles. With the team looking to bolster their bullpen after last season, they made some good Major League improvements with Kenley Jansen and bringing back Kyle Finnegan, but also with a few additions like this, who could find some playing time down the stretch.

The #Tigers also signed Dylan File, Woo-Suk Go and Wandisson Charles to minor league contracts. All three pitchers have Triple-A experience, but none of them received an MLB spring training invite.

In 2025, 29-year-old File had 4.74 ERA over 125.1 innings/27 games at Double-A. https://t.co/9Q672ItV4X

— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) January 5, 2026

Woo-Suk Go came over from the KBO during the offseason ahead of the 2024 season and has worked with multiple teams to adjust to the new level of competition. He managed to make it to Triple-A Toledo with Detroit previously this past season, and had produced decently well in 14 appearances there with a 4.29 ERA and 1.429 WHIP.

Wandisson Charles has been able to play all over the world the last few years, going from the Oakland Athletics in 2015 to the Baltimore Orioles a few years later, and then to the Mexican League in 2025, where he was very productive.

From the start of 2025 to now, he has produced a 2.54 ERA in 38 appearances, along with a 1.179 WHIP and 41 strikeouts to 15 walks. Both should hopefully be quality additions alongside File, whose stats are mentioned in the post above.

---