At this point in the MLB season, teams across the league are making ongoing changes to their active and 40-man rosters to fill immediate needs until the trade deadline.
The Detroit Tigers are one of those teams that have been busy lately. On Sunday, Detroit cut ties with struggling reliever John Brebbia as they designated him for assignment. The Tigers filled his spot in the bullpen with right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens from Triple-A.
With Brebbia being DFA’d, he can elect free agency, which could put him in line to join a new team. Or the Tigers could try to trade him within a week, if he goes unclaimed through waivers.
One former Detroit outfielder was just in the same position as Brebbia, but it didn’t take him long to find his next playing opportunity.
Ex-Tigers Outfielder Ryan Vilade Signs With Cincinnati Reds
On Saturday, the Cincinnati Reds announced that former Tigers outfielder Ryan Vilade was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds also optioned Vilade down to Triple-A, which isn’t surprising as he spent most of the 2025 season in the minors.
The #Reds today claimed IF/OF Ryan Vilade off waivers from the Cardinals and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. In a corresponding move, OF Jacob Hurtubise was designated for assignment.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 14, 2025
The Cardinals designated the ex-Tigers outfielder for assignment late last week after spending only seven games with the big league club.
Vilade didn’t do much in his short stint with St. Louis, as he hit .077 (1-for-13) with two walks and five strikeouts. However, he had much better success in the minors at Triple-A Memphis, hitting .280 with five home runs and 31 RBI.
Coincidentally, Vilade’s performance with the Cardinals almost mirrored what he did with the Tigers last season. The 26-year-old right-handed hitter slashed .178/.208/.244 with one home run and five RBI. But at Triple-A Toledo, he slugged .278 with 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 108 games.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Vilade play well in Triple-A with the Reds. However, the hope is that the former Tiger can parlay that success to the major league level after struggling in St. Louis.