Detroit Tigers' Devin Sweet brings sweet changeup to camp. Will he stick around?

LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers right-handed reliever Devin Sweet, an offseason waiver claim by president of baseball operations Scott Harris, faced live hitters in Wednesday's workout for the first time in spring training.

He has an elite changeup.

Harris watched the live batting practice session from behind home plate. The hitters were impressed with Sweet, a non-roster invitee to camp.

"No one hit it," said Kerry Carpenter, a left-handed hitter. "It was tough. That's a good pitch."

A busy offseason, which Sweet described as "a wild one," led to his arrival in Lakeland, Florida, for big-league spring training. The 27-year-old bounced around four organizations from September through January, only to be removed from the Tigers' 40-man roster less than two weeks before camp.

It started with the Seattle Mariners.

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He was designated for assignment Aug. 31 and claimed off waivers Sept. 2 by the Oakland Athletics. He then was claimed off waivers Dec. 18 by the San Francisco Giants, finding out about the roster move on his flight home from the Dominican Republic, where he pitched in five games for Aguilas Cibaenas in winter ball.

Sweet began training at the Giants' spring training complex in Scottsdale, Arizona.

"My daughter got sick one day, so I stayed home that day," Sweet said. "I got called by the Giants saying I got claimed by the Tigers. We lived in Arizona at the time, so I had to figure out where we were going to be living now."

The Tigers claimed Sweet off waivers Jan. 18, but on Jan. 29, the Tigers designated him for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster for top prospect Colt Keith, a second baseman who signed a long-term contract extension before his first MLB game.

Sweet was ready to travel to Lakeland to prepare for spring training, but he put the travel plans on hold after the Tigers removed him from the 40-man roster.

He needed to wait for the waiver process, again.

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"Once I cleared, I knew I had a team and knew where I was going to be this year," said Sweet, who was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo and invited to big-league spring training. "I'm enjoying the experience now. The Tigers have been great to me."

The entire offseason situation — four organizations in five months — was stressful. He has a wife and an 18-month-old daughter. Sweet had been renting a place in Arizona since signing his first contract as a undrafted free agent out of North Carolina Central in 2018, but his family was looking for an area to settle down.

Those conversations were fluid throughout the offseason.

"We're going to move closer to her family in Texas, like in the Dallas area," Sweet said. "That was the first thing that popped into my head when I got claimed by the Tigers, like where are we going to live now? Now that we're settled on that, I think it's going to be good."

On the field, Sweet has settled down in Lakeland for the six-week spring training. He seems likely to report to Triple-A Toledo, but his changeup could open the door to an opportunity with the Tigers.

He has been throwing his changeup since the seventh grade.

"I was trying out for my middle school team," Sweet said. "One of the guys that was helping with tryouts showed it to me. I tried it, and ever since, I've been throwing it the same."

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He didn't change anything about his changeup until 2021.

"I used the same grip until 2021, so for probably 13 years," Sweet said. "In 2021, I noticed that if I could get a different spin, maybe I would have a little better movement, so I changed the grip in 2021, and I've been using that one since."

Sweet made his MLB debut in July 2023 and appeared in seven games out of the bullpen for the Mariners and Athletics, posting a 10.38 ERA with six walks and six strikeouts across 8⅔ innings.

He performed much better at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in the minor leagues, with a 2.25 ERA, 11 walks and 57 strikeouts across 44 innings in 36 relief appearances. Most of his time was spent with Double-A Arkansas in the Mariners' organization.

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In 2023, Sweet threw a 92.9 mph four-seam fastball, an 86.5 mph slider and a 77.4 mph changeup. He throws his fastball at the top of the strike zone; he throws his changeup against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.

"It definitely gives me confidence," Sweet said of his changeup. "Over the years, I've developed a better trust in that pitch. Being able to fall back on it in pretty much any count is nice. I've been throwing it my whole life, so people have to tell me how good it is sometimes because it's normal to me."

Sweet, who owns a 3.73 ERA in his 328⅓-inning career in the minors, has tossed just nine innings at the Triple-A level throughout his professional career. He could benefit from additional seasoning in Triple-A Toledo.

But don't forget, Sweet already has MLB experience and a swing-and-miss changeup.

"I just want to be the best pitcher I can be," Sweet said. "Wherever I go, in my mind, I still have opportunity wherever I'm at, but either way, I have to perform well to get to the big leagues. I'm focused on what I can control, throwing strikes and hitting spots. I'll let the rest take care of itself."

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

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Devin Sweet maintains sweet pitch after offseason