Tigers, Zack Short Just Can't Quit Each Other After Flurry of Transactions
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Zack Short walked away from the Detroit Tigers rather than accept a minor league assignment. So, why is he back with the Tigers?
The Tigers re-signed him, per the team, one day after he chose free agency instead of being optioned to Triple-A Toledo. To make room on the roster, Jace Jung was optioned to Toledo in a subsequent transaction. Once that was done, Short started at shortstop and batted ninth for the Tigers on Friday night against the Kansas City Royals.
It's the third time he's been part of a player move this year. Right before opening day, Short was traded to the Washington Nationals from the New York Yankees. in May, the Nats traded him to the Tigers for cash. Detroit called him up, played him in two games where he went 0-for-3 and then designated him for assignment.
Zack Short's Journey
Short was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round of the 2016 draft but made his Major League debut with the Tigers in 2021. He played in 177 games for Detroit from 2021 to 2023 and played for four separate teams in 2024 and 2025.
He owns a career .171/.296/.295 slash line with 15 homers and 67 RBI over 243 games. He plays second, third, and shortstop and made both appearances with the Tigers at short earlier this week.
He joins the roster after Jung's short stint in the big leagues. Jung went one for six with two walks in three games this season. He's batting .222/.358/.364 over 28 games with Toledo this season. With Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez on the injured list, Middle-infield depth is slim and that's the reason Short is back.
McGonigle is the constant at shortstop, while Zach McKinstry and Hao-Yu Lee have split time at second base. McGonigle started at third base on Friday to make room for Short.
Tigers sign veteran pitcher to minor league deal
Detroit also signed veteran reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league deal on Friday, and he was optioned to Toledo. The 34-year-old has a career 3.51 ERA over 302 games since 2015. Most recently, Edwards threw six innings of relief for the New York Mets before being designated for assignment and choosing free agency.
He posted a 3.07 ERA over his last two full seasons with the Washington Nationals in 2022-23. He features a four-seam fastball and curveball primarily, but also throws a changeup.
The Tigers have the fifth-best reliever ERA in the American League, but reinforcements never hurt. Having Edwards easily accessible at Triple-A is a fantastic decision, even if he never makes the big league club.
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Jeffrey is a sports writer located in Louisville, Kentucky, with a passion for sports, writing, and storytelling. He has hundreds of published articles across various platforms, including Kentucky Today, The Baptist Courier, FanSided, and more. Jeffrey is a senior at Indiana University Southeast pursuing a B.S. in Journalism/Media with a Minor in Writing. He has a beautiful wife, dog, and firstborn child on the way.