Detroit Tigers Seem Uncertain on What Future Will Hold for Javier Baez

The Detroit Tigers have finished up the Winter Meetings after making a couple of moves so far this offseason to improve. While there hasn’t been a big splash yet, that can still come with a lot of good players available.

In 2024, the Tigers went on to have a magical run in the second half of the season. Detroit got hot at the right time and was able to ride that momentum right into the playoffs. In the postseason, the Tigers defeated the Houston Astros before getting eliminated in the American League Division Series.

The young core of Detroit really stepped up, likely before even the organization expected them too. Now, they have the chance to add some veterans and hopefully become a true contender in 2025.

However, the franchise still has a dark cloud looming over the team, and that is the contract situation of Javier Baez. The signing of Baez a couple of years ago has turned out to be a failure, as he hasn’t been anywhere near the All-Star he was with the Chicago Cubs.

The shortstop missed a good chunk of the season in 2024 after having hip surgery, and his future seems very uncertain. Recently, A.J. Hinch spoke about his rehab and where he might fit on the team in 2025.

"We're all anxious to see how he comes out of it physically with the hip," Hinch said to Evan Petzold of Detroit Free Press, "and hopefully, that alleviates the back issues that he's talked about. He's been very diligent in his work and very diligent in his rehab process. He hasn't had a misstep or he hasn't had anything that gives us doubt or pause that he's not going to be fully healthy when the time comes," Hinch said. "I don't know when that is, and I don't know what he's going to be able to give us as we get into the spring. But I'm very proud of his communication, his diligence. The program he's on is giving him the best chance to get back to being healthy."

The 32-year-old is signed through 2027 and making over $20 million per season, which, because of his production, has resulted in him being one of the worst contracts in baseball.

When healthy, he hasn’t been performing well, as he totaled a .221 batting average and .610 OPS in three seasons with Detroit.

After Baez went down with an injury, it was mostly Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney getting the starts at shortstop. This is likely a position that Detroit would like to upgrade, but considering how much they are still on the hook for with Baez, that seems unlikely.

As his rehab progresses, it will be interesting to see where Baez fits in the 2025 plans for the Tigers.