The Detroit Tigers saw a former top pitching prospect get released by an American League team.
The Texas Rangers released right-handed pitcher Kyle Funkhouser after he made just one outing in Triple-A for the team. Detroit selected Funkhouser in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was originally selected 35th overall out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers and reportedly turned down a signing bonus of $1.75 million to go to college.
He ended up signing with the Tigers for a reported $750,000 signing bonus, and he became one of the team’s top prospects.
Funkhouser was ranked as the Tigers’ sixth-ranked prospect in 2018 by MLB Pipeline. He was ranked ahead of the likes of Isaac Paredes, Gregory Soto, and Derek Hill, among others.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander made his MLB debut in 2020, going 1-1 with a 7.27 ERA in 13 games out of the bullpen. The next season, he went 7-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 57 games, including 2 starts.
Funkhouser was non-tendered by the Tigers at the end of the 2022 MLB season after he missed the entire season due to an injury. He signed with the Rangers, but didn’t reach the MLB, and didn’t pitch in 2024 before signing in Mexico in 2025.
After just seven games in Mexico, he signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struggled in Triple-A and returned to Mexico to begin the 2026 season before signing a minor-league deal with the Rangers in April.
However, Funkhouser appeared in just 1 game, going 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA over 3.1 innings, and was surprisingly released.
Funkhouser Was a Promising Pitcher for Tigers
After turning down the Dodgers’ deal, Funkhouser had hoped to improve his draft stock at Louisville.
However, Funkhouser had mixed results, which saw him fall to the fourth round. Yet, he still was a promising pitching prospect for the Tigers. His fastball was given a 60-grade on the 20-80 scale on MLB Pipeline, as he also figured to have three MLB-level pitches.
“The right-hander will sit in the low 90s, but can reach back for 96-97 mph consistently when healthy,” Funkhouser’s MLB Pipeline scouting report read. “His slider has the chance to be a tick above average when all is said and done and his changeup has improved to give him another at least Major League average offering. He still uses a fringy curve as a “get-me-over” different look for hitters. Funkhouser showed the ability to miss bats and induce weak contact on the ground in 2017, all while staying in and around the strike zone.”
Funkhouser will look to sign with another team and hopefully return to the MLB for the first time since 2021.
Detroit Signs First-Round Draft Pick
The Tigers reportedly signed Cameron Flukey, their top pick of the 2026 Draft. Jim Callis reported that Detroit signed the right-hander for $3.8 million, slightly less than the slot value of the pick at $4,082,700.
Detroit selected Flukey 22nd overall out of Coastal Carolina. He entered the draft ranked as the 15th best player by MLB Pipeline, but there were some concerns. Flukey missed the majority of his junior season due to a stress fracture in his ribs. He ended up making just 7 starts, pitching to a 4.13 ERA.
Yet, the Tigers felt highly enough about his track record that he could be an impact pitcher at the next level.
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