WHAT KIND OF SEASON IS IN STORE FOR BAEZ?
The most uncomfortable issue facing the Tigers in this camp is one that’s hardly talked about. What are they going to do about Javier Báez?
Coming off the least-productive offensive season of his career, the 31-year-old Báez — the highest-paid and most famous player on the Tigers’ post-Miguel Cabrera roster — continues to search and struggle at the plate. Entering play Sunday, he was 2 for 29 this spring with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
“It’s a long season,” Báez said, standing outside the visitor’s clubhouse in Bradenton on Saturday. “But we want to see those results in spring training, too, and see that everything we’ve been working on is paying off. And I feel like it is. Obviously, I haven’t got a lot of hits or homers. But I’m feeling good.
“I just got to be patient now at the plate and keep my plan and approach the whole at-bat.”
There are a few reasons why Báez’s spring hasn’t been treated like a crisis. For one, there’s nothing the club can really do except support him. He’s on the books for $98 million through 2027. He’s not going anywhere.
Secondly, his defense is elite. He’s worked hard to fix some bad habits he got into with his footwork and has been throwing the ball accurately all spring. Ten of his 19 errors last season came on errant throws. With a revolving door expected at third base and
rookie Colt Keith at second, Báez’s steadiness and leadership on the infield is vital.
Third, he’s putting in the work. If he doesn’t figure things out at the plate, it won’t be for a lack of effort.
“He’s easy to motivate,” manager AJ Hinch said. “He is driven. He is a worker. He is accountable. He cares. He listens. All the things you want out of a player.”
Fourth, Hinch still very much believes in him.
“We expect him to be good,” Hinch said. “He’s a good player. He can impact a game in a lot of different ways. He’s the most instinctual player on our team. We’ve got to keep him in a good place producing whatever he can give us. I am looking forward to his season.”
It’s not being treated like a crisis because, at this point, it isn’t a crisis. It’s a work in progress. And Báez has been open about discussing the process. He talked about the lower back and core pain he played through the last couple of seasons and how, to compensate for the pain, his swing mechanics got out whack.
“I have been fighting to see the ball,” Baez said. “With everything I went through with the slump and my body — my body feels way better now. What I did