The Detroit Tigers have been making some savvy moves, draft picks, and acquisitions over the last couple of years.
They seem on the verge of being respectable again, having finished second in the AL Central in 2023 ahead of the Cleveland Guardians.
They have amazing young talent in Colt Keith, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, Matt Manning, and others.
However, it’s impossible to ignore how they set themselves back with the Javier Baez deal.
Baez signed a six-year, $140 million contract before the 2022 campaign, but his plate discipline has eroded to painful degrees and he has been a liability at the batter’s box for the Tigers.
He posted a .671 OPS in 2022 and a .593 mark last year, with many ugly strikeouts and lousy plate decisions.
Tigers fans were clearly hoping things would get better in 2024, but it doesn’t appear to be the case as @CalicoJoeMLB tweets:
— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) March 6, 2024
In 12 at-bats, the infielder hasn’t gotten any hits and has accumulated only one RBI.
There are no walks in his statistical profile, either: just zeroes.
The most frustrating thing is that the player had the chance to re-test the market in the offseason, but elected to stay in Detroit and will be there for four more years.
The team still has to pay him $98 million.
It’s hard to blame the player: it was a business decision and he did what is best for him and his family.
Tigers fans, on the other hand, will have to exercise a lot of patience.
There is always the chance Baez, who had 30-homer pop and 20-steal speed at one point in his career, regains some of that mojo.
Chances are it will be an uphill battle, though.
NEXT: Stats Highlight Exciting Upside For Key Tigers Pitcher