Former No. 18 Overall Pick Alex Faedo Accepts 'big Change' After Detroit Tigers Moved On

Right-handed reliever Alex Faedo — the No. 18 overall pick in the 2017 draft — received a phone call Jan. 29 from Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris, just moments after the Tigers signed fellow righty reliever Tommy Kahnle.

First came the bad news, then the good.

The bad: The Tigers were designating Faedo for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster and placing him on waivers. The good: The Tigers planned to trade him before the completion of the waiver process.

"Once you hear that, you're like, 'OK, there's going to be a new home,'" said Faedo, who made his MLB debut with the Tigers in May 2022. "By Day 3 or 4, I was like, 'All right, I need the trade or something to happen,' because you're just waiting on it. And then Scott gave me the call."

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On the fifth day, the Tigers traded Faedo on Feb. 3 to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for catcher Enderson Delgado and cash considerations.

He loved pitching for the Tigers.

It was the only organization he had ever known as a professional.

"It's a business," Faedo said. "I think they make their decisions on what's best for their team. You just got to accept it and keep moving forward. The longer you dwell on the past or on the negatives or on things you don't like, I think that's only going to affect you negatively. I tried to keep a positive mindset."

Faedo is beloved by the Tigers.

He has built strong relationships with several now-former teammates, including Tarik Skubal.

"He's a clubhouse favorite and a staff favorite," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "I've had more trainers, coaches and players talk about him and how much they like him than most guys that are on our team. They love him."

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With the Tigers, Faedo posted a 4.51 ERA over 175⅔ innings in 64 games (30 starts) across parts of three seasons from 2022-24. He transitioned to relief at the end of 2023 and found success in 2024, registering a 3.61 ERA with 28 walks and 55 strikeouts over 57⅓ innings in 37 games.

Faedo also battled injuries in each of his three seasons with the Tigers, including a season-ending right hip injury in 2022 that required surgery, a season-ending right shoulder strain in 2024 and several finger blister and nail issues on his right hand over the years. As a top prospect, he underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow in December 2020.

Faedo recently suffered a shoulder injury with the Rays in the final week of spring training.

"My two goals are always, be the best teammate I can be and have a healthy, strong season where I can help the team win," Faedo said, before the latest shoulder issue. "I'm just taking it day-by-day. The season is long, but I feel like I have a good baseline."

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Joining the Rays, Faedo returned to the region he has called home his entire life. The 29-year-old was born in Tampa, attended Braulio Alonso High School in Tampa and played college baseball at the University of Florida in Gainesville, all while attending a lot of Rays games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

His entire family still lives in Tampa.

"I haven't been staying at home in Tampa," said Faedo, who has a wife and two children. "I've been staying down here in Port Charlotte (where the Rays hold spring training) because the drive is a little too long with a lot of traffic, but I'll be able to reap the benefits of that once the season starts."

This spring, Faedo struggled in four relief appearances, allowing six runs on four hits and five walks with one strikeout across 3⅔ innings. His pre-injury performance goes beyond the box score, especially since he had been working with Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder to add velocity to his swing-and-miss slider.

It was averaging 86 mph with the Rays this spring, compared to 83 mph with the Tigers last season.

"Everyone has their different philosophies," Faedo said, comparing the Rays' pitching department to the Tigers' pitching department. "I think both teams do things a little bit different from what I've seen, but I think both teams have done a good job with that."

Faedo was competing for the final bullpen spot on the Rays' 26-man Opening Day roster in spring training, but the shoulder injury forces him to the 15-day injured list. He doesn't have any minor league options remaining, so he can't be sent to Triple-A Durham without clearing waivers.

When healthy, it's the big leagues or the waiver wire.

Faedo is aiming to solidify himself in the Rays' bullpen.

"Just pitch whenever they call, give the best effort that I can give," Faedo said. "On the field, I think that's all you can really do — be available. I've pitched in a lot of different roles. I'll just try to throw as many zeros as I can when they call. That's it."

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-Detroit Tigers RHP Alex Faedo accepts 'big change' with new team