Winning organizations need to find usable talent in every nook and cranny. That means hitting on early round picks, being willing to throw around some weight in free agency and the trade market, identifying talented castoffs for refurbishment, and landing on the right developmental longshots late in the draft now and again. That last item is the hardest one to pull off and growing tougher by the year as teams become ever more consistent at identifying the best young talent.
For every rule there’s an exception, though, and the Tigers are on a bit of a roll in terms of pitching prospects.