The Detroit Tigers strengthened their minor league pitching depth on Thursday by acquiring left-handed pitcher Bailey Horn from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations.
Earlier in the day, Horn was removed from the Cardinals’ 40-man roster following the team’s signing of right-hander Phil Maton. He now takes the final spot on the Tigers’ 40-man roster, which became available after José Urquidy was placed on the 60-day injured list. The Tigers have already optioned Horn to Triple-A Toledo, where he is expected to begin the 2025 season.
If Bailey Horn’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was briefly on the Tigers’ roster earlier this offseason. Detroit originally claimed him off waivers from the Red Sox in November, keeping him for about a month before making room for Gleyber Torres in free agency. The Cardinals then claimed Horn off waivers from the Tigers in December, but after St. Louis designated him for assignment Thursday morning, Detroit quickly sent cash to bring him back.
Tigers acquire pitching depth in trade with Cardinals to fill 40-man roster
Horn, 27, made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last season, posting a disappointing 6.50 ERA with 13 strikeouts across 18 innings. His struggles continued in spring training with the Cardinals, where he recorded a 15.43 ERA, issuing five walks and managing just one strikeout over 2 1/3 innings in Grapefruit League action.
Since he has already been optioned to Triple-A Toledo, Horn is strictly a depth addition for the Tigers. Currently, Tyler Holton is the only left-hander in Detroit’s major league bullpen, though Andrew Chafin—who joined the team on a minor league deal—could also fill that role if he makes the Opening Day roster.
A fifth-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in the 2020 MLB Draft, Horn has posted a 4.26 ERA over 129 minor league appearances, tallying 271 strikeouts across 213 1/3 innings. With minor league options remaining, he could be a candidate for the Tigers to shuttle between Toledo and the majors if he improves his command—assuming he sticks around this time.
