Forgotten former Rays reliever signs a minor league deal with the Tigers

The Rays have been what many call a "pitching factory" for years now and thank goodness for that because of the revolving door for Rays players as a whole. The "revolving door" is on full display this offseason as only about 18 of the everyday players, including pitchers, are returning to the team for the 2026 season. In 2024, we lost one of our most prized bullpen arms to free agency and he seems to have lost a lot of traction in the baseball world since then.

Former Rays reliever Colin Poche signs a minor league deal with the Tigers

Colin Poche was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 14th round of the 2016 draft. The left-handed hurler only reached the A+ ranks in the D-Backs system, but displayed some impressive numbers to the tune of a 1.25 ERA in 2017. The Rays made the wise decision of snatching him up in a trade that also involved lifetime minor league pitcher Sam McWilliams.

Poche was immediately sent to Double-A Montgomery where he tossed a perfect five innings and received the illustrious promotion to Triple-A Durham. At that point, he may have put together one of the most impressive seasons for a pitcher in Triple-A history. The Texas native gave up six earned runs in 50 innings of work to add up to a 1.08 ERA. The Rays knew they needed to add his services to the big-league club sooner than later.

However, injuries marred the lefty's playing career. After Poche's debut season in 2019 ended with a successful 4.70 ERA out of the bullpen, he didn't play in a professional game again until 2022. The former Ray made the most of his time in Tampa Bay though, as he closed out his last few seasons from 2022-2024 with a combined 17 wins and 158 strikeouts in 157 innings.

His elite fastball that he consistently placed up in the zone and an impressive curveball were the highlights of his Rays pitching career. In 2025, Colin Poche signed a minor league deal with the Nationals as other teams didn't give him the respect that he deserved for a qualified reliever. He only tossed ten innings in 2025 and struggled mightily in those frames, walking 14 hitters and giving up 13 earned runs. Nevertheless, the Tigers are taking a chance on the former Rays high-end relief pitcher in hopes that he'll revive some of his success from his Rays tenure.