Former Yankees top prospect from bizarre 2017 Twins trade resurfaces on Tigers

Minnesota Twins v Tampa Bay Rays
Minnesota Twins v Tampa Bay Rays | Douglas P. DeFelice/GettyImages

So many former New York Yankees prospects are out in the wild with all the trades Brian Cashman has made since 2017. He's been one of the most active shot callers in the sport, constantly dealing from the organization's farm system.

On Monday, one of those former prospects surfaced in an unexpected manner. Remember pitcher Dietrich Enns? Back in 2016, he was dominant, registering a 1.73 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 135 innings at Double-A and Triple-A.

However, it was always believed his stuff wouldn't play up in the big leagues because of his lack of velocity. And that take makes sense, because his last MLB appearance was 2021 and he has since spent the last three seasons in Korea.

Enns never appeared in a game with the Yankees because he was traded at the 2017 deadline in the deal that brought Jaime Garcia to the Bronx. New York sent Enns and pitcher Zack Littell to the Minnesota Twins for eight starts of Garcia, who signed the the Blue Jays for 2018. But with Garcia in the fold, the Yankees made a magical ALCS run behind Brian Cashman's trade deadline mastery.

Still, moving Enns at the time felt unnecessary, especially because he never got a shot with the Bombers. Cashman appeared to have capitalized on his minor-league value to acquire MLB-ready talent for a playoff contender.

The Yankees might see Enns in 2025, however, as he just signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Former Yankees top prospect Dietrich Enns resurfaces with Detroit Tigers

Enns has been a capable reliever in the Japan Pacific League and KBO. He just made 30 starts in the KBO and finished with a career-high 167 2/3 innings. His 4.19 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 157 strikeouts suggest he could be an asset for an MLB club looking for Triple-A depth or an emergency option to eat innings on the active roster.

Now 33, Enns was a former 19th-round pick of the Yankees back in 2012 and was a top-20 prospect in the system back in 2016. In 2017, he appeared in two games with the Twins and wouldn't get back to the bigs until 2021 in his nine games (2.82 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Now a Tiger, there's a real chance for Enns to crack an Opening Day roster. Detroit's pitching coach Chris Fetter just earned 2024 MLB Coach of the Year honors by Baseball America for his work with the Tigers' staff. If Enns can benefit from his tutelage, he might be a supporting cast member for one of the best bullpens in the league.

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