Ever since Javier Baez signed with the Detroit Tigers back in 2021, it was just assumed that he was past his prime. 2024 was seemingly the beginning of the end for Baez’s career, as he hit just .184 with six homers in 80 games and had a negative WAR (-1.1) for the first time since his first 52 MLB games in 2014.
Sometimes even veteran players like Baez just need a change of scenery to return to form. While a lot of times these changes happen via trade or free agent signings, it appears that a simple position change could be bringing Baez’s production back to life. His success for Detroit recently could be a catch 22 for the Tigers as there could be some tough decisions to be made in the next couple of weeks.
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Javy Baez creating awkward situation for Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have recently decided to move former middle infielder Javier Baez to center field. Just like Jose Altuve with the Houston Astros, this initially felt like a questionable decision considering how demanding playing the outfield is and Baez’s body already has over a decade of wear and tear in the majors. On Thursday, Baez proved he is more than capable of making this transition.
Detroit was in Los Angeles to take on the Angels on Thursday. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jorge Soler hit a long fly ball that appeared to be a homer off the bat. Baez covered a lot of ground and leaped up to take a round-tripper away from Soler to end the inning. Baez jogged off the field in his typical nonchalant manner, almost as if to say, “that’s right. I still got it.”
If robbing the homer wasn’t reason enough to believe Baez can still contribute at the big league level, it is also worth noting that he hit a 410-foot solo homer back in the third inning of Thursday’s game. While the Tigers are currently enjoying this production from Baez, things could get interesting.
25-year-old Parker Meadows who has been sidelined for the entire 2025 season thus far is close to return. Meadows hit .244 with nine homers in just 82 games a season ago and has really been the long-term plan for Detroit in the outfield. With him returning and Baez playing the way he is, it will be interesting to see what the Tigers decide to do with center field in the next few weeks.