Detroit Tigers Highly Paid Free Agent Bust Could Be Due for Massive Comeback

The Detroit Tigers have gotten a nice spring training out of a player with a brutal contract.

Feb 28, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (28) walks off after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are just a couple of weeks away from getting started with a season they hope will be more complete than last year.

While the Roar of '24 was one of the most electric months in the history of the franchise, it's safe to say most Tigers fans would like to see the team look like a playoff contender throughout the campaign rather than just getting hot for the final stretch.

In order to do that, Detroit will need more consistency from their stars who have disappointed at times throughout their Tigers career.

One player you can probably remove the disappointed "at times" label from is shortstop Javier Baez, who notoriously signed a six-year deal with Detroit for $140 million prior to the 2022 season and has been absolutely dreadful during his time with the Tigers.

The 2024 season was a new low for Baez who missed over half the season with injuries and was unplayably poor when he was on the field. In 80 games, Baez slashed .184/.221/.294 and was a negative defender for the first time in his career at the most important position on the field.

Now reportedly healthy and seemingly having employed a new approach at the plate, Baez will get at least one more chance why he should be the team's starting shortstop due to the investment they have already made in him over the next three years.

At this point in spring training, he's at least giving fans a reason to believe.

Slashing .286/.375/.643 for an OPS of 1.018 in 14 at bats thus far, Baez looks like he could be due for a comeback season.

The strong hitting culminated on Sunday when Baez launched an absolute moonshot over 400 feet to deep left center for his first home run in what was an already fairly successful spring thus far.

Nobody expects Baez to come out and be an All-Star caliber player again who produce the kind of 6.0 WAR-plus type seasons he was in his heyday with the Chicago Cubs.

Though becoming a reliable every day player once again who has the capability to hit 20 home runs and an OPS around .700 rather than a complete liability would be a welcome sight for fans and not unreasonable to expect.

The reality of the situation is Detroit is going to be paying Baez regardless for the next three years and there's no question whether or not the contract was a mistake, it certainly was.

Tigers fans are understandably frustrated and in some cases downright finished with Baez, but that does not mean Detroit should not try to salvage some value out of the deal they're already locked in to paying.

With an opportunity for the former All-Star now released from the burden of any sort of expectations, it would not be completely shocking to see Baez come back and have a respectable season in 2025.

If that becomes reality, it would go a long way towards the Tigers being able to have a consistently strong season and potentially push the underdogs into the category of contender.