There may be few tougher jobs in baseball than a journeyman reliever. The Detroit Tigers have several players who have found a home as part of the best team in MLB heading into the All-Star break. But the bullpen is always a fluid situation with names going in and out on the back end.
It leaves some players with a job going into the All-Star break, but coming out of it looking for a new team. That’s the scenario for one reliever who made Detroit his third stop of the 2025 season but could be on the road again by the time this season comes to a close.
Tigers Reliever Carlos Hernández on Thin Ice After All-Star Break
Carlos Hernández has had a tour of Major League Baseball after spending his five seasons with the Kansas City Royals. While he’s been able to stay in the league, he’s also been a mercurial arm throughout his career, posting a 5.11 ERA.
Hernández entered this year on the right side of the spectrum, posting a 3.30 ERA for the Kansas City Royals in 2024, but he was quickly kicked to the curb when he failed to make the team out of Spring Training. The Philadelphia Phillies picked him up off waivers, but he lasted just 25 games with a 5.26 ERA before he was designated for assignment and claimed by the Tigers last month.
There’s a good reason why teams have been interested in Hernandez’s arm. The 28-year-old’s average fastball velocity of 97.8 mph ranks in the 94th percentile this season, and his extension of 6.9 feet ranks in the 87th percentile according to Baseball Savant.
But while Hernandez has a strong fastball, he often doesn’t have an idea of where it’s going. His 11.5% walk rate is a sign of poor control, and his 12.6% barrel rate and 33.3% ground ball rate allow hitters to post a .338 average and a .507 expected slugging percentage against the fastball this season.
The Tigers saw this and decided to give Hernández a try. But they haven’t gotten a proper return on their investment. Hernandez has allowed nine earned runs over 8.1 innings since coming to Detroit, and his six walks have neutralized the 10 strikeouts in his eight outings.
While Hernández’s fielding independent pitching (FIP) of 2.84 suggests he deserves a better fate, his performance suggests he’s unlikely to turn it around, leaving him on the chopping block as the Tigers emerge from the All-Star break.