Tigers trade Jake Rogers for minor-league reliever from Hillsdale
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Tigers have found a landing spot for a longtime fan favorite.
The Tigers have traded catcher Jake Rogers to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league right-hander Zane Barnhart.
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The Tigers today acquired minor league RHP Zane Barnhart from the Baltimore Orioles for C Jake Rogers. Barnhart will report to Double-A Erie.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) July 30, 2026
Barnhart will report to Double-A Erie, per the Tigers' announcement of the deal. Barnhart, a Hillsdale College product who was a 17th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, has a 4.05 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 19 walks over 40 innings for Baltimore's Double-A affiliate.
The trade comes after the Tigers designated Rogers for assignment on July 28, effectively ending his seven-year tenure in Detroit.
Starting the season as Detroit's backup catcher, Rogers struggled in limited playing time at the plate, slashing .161/.266/.301 in 110 plate appearances. His .567 OPS was second-worst among Tigers batters with at least 100 plate appearances at the time of his demotion, with only Jahmai Jones (traded to the Boston Red Sox on July 14) sporting a lower mark (.440) for the Tigers.
The Tigers acquired Rogers in 2017 from the Houston Astros as part of the Justin Verlander trade. And though Rogers wasn't the most lauded player in the return package, he quickly became the most productive of the four players the Tigers returned, making his MLB debut with Detroit in 2019.
Jake Rogers had interrupted start to Tigers career
After not playing in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Rogers had a breakout season in 2021, slashing .239/.306/.496 in 127 plate appearances over 38 games for the Tigers. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2021, however, knocking him out for the entire 2022 season.
Rogers returned in 2023 and started at catcher in 94 games, putting up a career-high 21 home runs (second on the team behind Spencer Torkelson's 31) and emerging as a core player for a rebuilding team. He couldn't regain his form offensively in 2024, however, seeing his OPS dip from .730 in 365 plate appearances 2023 to .607 in 337 plate appearances in 2024.
Rogers a big part of Tigers resurgence
Despite his dip in production, Rogers grew as a clubhouse leader in 2024, coining the rallying cry "Don't let the Tigers get hot" as Detroit made an unprecedented September rally into the postseason. Rogers was also considered a personal catcher for lefty ace Tarik Skubal at the time, who won his first of two American League Cy Young Awards in 2024.
Following catcher Dillon Dingler's ascension to MLB in 2024, Rogers spent all of 2025 as a backup, appearing in just 46 games (his lowest total since 2021) and putting up a .610 OPS. And though he remained an important clubhouse leader, Rogers continued to struggle at the plate in 2026, leading the Tigers to promote minor-league slugger Eduardo Valencia to the backup catcher position.
With his iconic facial hair and charming interviews, Rogers was a favorite among Tigers fans and an important part of the team's ascent to contender status over the last two seasons. But with the Tigers looking for more bench production, especially from a right-handed batter, Rogers is officially taking his talents elsewhere.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tigers trade Jake Rogers for minor-league reliever from Hillsdale