Most teams in the position the Detroit Tigers are in would have made a big splash in the free agent market or completed a blockbuster trade this offseason. After falling just short in the 2024 ALDS, one would think owner Christopher Ilitch would shell out money to make them more compelling competitors.
The Tigers seemed to put all of their eggs in one basket by chasing free agent Alex Bregman. Although Detroit was a finalist in the Bregman sweepstakes, their offer was significantly less than what the Red Sox gave the third baseman. Since missing out on Bregman, the Tigers have decided to roll with their current position players which likely made Javy Baez feel like he has some job security. However, the way spring training is going, Baez could find himself in an unfamiliar spot once Opening Day rolls around.
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Detroit Tigers may have no option but to bench Javy Baez
Before joining the Detroit Tigers, Javy Baez spent seven and a half years with the Chicago Cubs. The second half of the 2021 season, Baez was a member of the New York Mets. He has two all-star seasons to his name to go along with a Gold Glove award, but it has become apparent over the last few years that he cannot perform at this level anymore.
In just 80 games with the Tigers in 2024, Baez stayed under the Mendoza line hitting .184 with 6 homers. Since stellar defense has always been his forte, Baez is still projected to be the Tigers’ starting shortstop in 2025. However, Trey Sweeney may be coming for his job.
Sweeney is proving this spring that he can provide more offensive value than Baez has in recent memory. If Sweeney takes over Baez’ position at short, that will leave the veteran with nowhere to go but the bench where he likely won’t be happy.
Gleyber Torres and Cole Keith will be holding down the fort at second base while Jace Jung will be the team’s third baseman. These are the only other two positions that Baez could comfortably play but they are already occupied. The way things are trending, we could see Baez spend more time on the bench than in the lineup this coming campaign.