Tigers shortstop Javier Baez declined to opt out of his contract with the Tigers, writes Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press. He’ll be due $98MM over the next four seasons.
There was no suspense with the decision. Baez has struggled mightily since landing in Detroit. He owns a .230/.273/.361 line through the first two seasons of a six-year, $140MM free agent pact. That includes a .222/.267/.325 slash through 547 trips to the dish in 2023.
Baez is due $25MM annually over the next two seasons, followed by $24MM yearly salaries in 2026 and ’27. That contract would make it very difficult for the Tigers to trade him unless they pay the money down almost in entirety. Detroit could look to supplant Baez as the starting shortstop this offseason, although the weak free agent class at the position makes that more challenging than would be the case in a typical winter.
Sorry, Tigers fans.
“We win together, we loose together”
No shock here. Maybe they could trade him for Rodon and his horrible deal with Yankees.
I’d take that as a Tigers fan. Not sure why the Yankees would. They have a shortstop
He’s going to turn it around, probably be the MVP in the World Series!
Easy piece… So obvious… Who in is right mind would opt out with that nice chunk of money remaining?
Not dodging that bullet, Detroit.
No surprise there.
Tigers might be better off with Joan Baez at short.
I would be curious how many of the folks in here know Joan Baez. Personally, I can appreciate your comment.
One of the few lefty shortstops she would be.
The Night They Drove ol Dixie Down.
A Classic.
If she is left handed she could not play shortstop but my guess is that she could hit better than Javier.
This has to be the worst contract of all time.
Even Homer Simpson would know not to opt out.
What happened to his stellar Cubs days?
His swing
Loonnggg gone! At this point half of the production from his Cubs heyday would be a significant upgrade.
Javy still has some skills. Decent defender. Decent speed. He shows some power. The skills are there he just has to work on not chasing that slider outside. Work on that in the off-season and come into 2024 with a good game plan at the plate.
I predict comeback player of the year in 2024. I think he can do it.
Yeah… problem is he doesn’t see it? Thinks it’s something else and can’t help it?
“Work on not chasing that slider outside” … something that’s been said about Javy since day 1 of his career…. He’d rather make the splash play… hit a bomb a country mile… unfortunately I don’t believe he a will ever change…
Signed,
A Cubs fan
Melchez…hope you’re right but if not I say park him on the bench and test drive Eddys Leonard or trade for a young SS.
People laughed at me when I said Cody Bellinger was worth taking a chance on. When I said Aaron Hicks might be a nice addition. I get the same feeling with Baez that I did with those two.
For the record, I wanted Corey Seager the year of the shortstop. Tigers came away with Baez. I felt it was ok, but I really wished we had gone for Seager. Lefty bat at SS. The guy is a superstar.
I liked Seager and Trea Turner better than Baez and Correa for sure. I thought the same as you about Bellinger last year. I hope they don’t go after Bellinger now though for the kind of cash they are talking he might get. You could get a good hitter and pitcher for that kind of cash.
Javy’s underlying stats have supported how terrible he’s been for the past 2 years.
He isn’t going to magically develop plate discipline at this point in his career. He has no financial motivation to do so anymore either. Embarrassment is about the only thing that could drive him at this point.
Baez was never going to age well. His bat speed slows anymore and he’s going to be unplayable.
He hasn’t been good since baseball cut down on sign stealing. He no longer knows what pitch is coming.
Sorry fellas. I think we milked that cow for all he’s worth.
That’s just udder nonsense.
Time to mooooooove on.
Just need to light a fire under his dairy-ere.
Hasn’t Detroit been through enough already?
Apparently not.
At least the Lions have a good team for once
Detroit a city that lost tons of great jobs and has tons of crime. Would be nice to go back 50-60 years and see it when it was worth visiting.
@hiflew. It’s all about the money with 95% of the players. Baez would lose big money to opt out of that contract. The only player I can even think of that had enough integrity to walk away from a sizable chunk of money at the time was Gil Meche. Probably never see that again from a MLB player.
MercFF I believe Kirk Gibson retired 1/2 season early because he felt he felt he was not living up to his contract.
Tigers won it all in ‘68 with a weak hitting good glove SS Ray Oyler. Baez is sunk cost but Detroit can get offense from other positions.
His Walk to K ratio is pitiful and has been his whole career, hopefully his power numbers pick up, or they eat money in a trade.
I never realized he’s never had more than 30 bases on balls in a single season.
Crazy less then 30 walks is insane. Hes a guy tho that if he ever found his batting eye he would increase his value tremendously. Randal grichuk is another guy like that, randy hits 25-30 bombs a year and plays average to good defense in the outfield but has a 210 average and 290-300 OBP
> I never realized he’s never had more
> than 30 bases on balls in a single season.
That year he had 30 BB in 2017?
15 were intentional BB.
Maybe he can talk to Mark Canha.
What a terrible contract (for the Tigers).
Dang. Was kinda hoping he’d forget the deadline.
As expected. Tigers are really not in a position yet to make a trade for a better SS and the FA market is pretty thin as is the internal replacements. Baez can still play the position defensively so they will ride him out for at least another season. He is as good a bounce back candidate as anyone on the free agent market as well. The money is sunk so until they need to replace him and have a better replacement candidate, he’ll remain the SS.
If the DBacks plan on playing Lawler at SS next year, and sign or trade for a 3B, I’m pretty sure Perdomo could be had for pitching. He lacks power, but he walks and can steal. Whatever the Tigers are doing to Baez is robbing him of any power, anyway.
That sounds like an interesting plan and good point about Lawler.
On a D-Backs thread I asked if any of them would swap Perdomo straight up for Reece Olson. No reply. But I think that would be an intriguing opening offer for both teams, assuming AZ uses Lawler at SS. I think Perdomo would do great in Comerica.
Arizona does need pitching so it could make sense. Baltimore and Cincy do too and have some solid IF pieces. Dodgers need arms (although they might just grab some of the FA pitchers) and they seem to have soured in Miguel Vargas who could be an interesting add. Lots of possibilities.
Of course he’s a bounce back candidate, there is no where to go but up for him lol.
This is why Al Avila is a TV commentator now.
Are you confusing him with his son. Alex?
This was Al’s parting gift.
Color Me Badd- I mean, shocked.
I mean, hey, that’s why these opt outs exist- a lot of guys think and turn out to be correct that they can beat the remaining tens upon tens of millions left on a deal by electing free agency and a lot of guys know they’re no longer worth the risk or potential of an identically valued or greater value contract and thus there’s no reason to opt out.
He still makes some “I cant’t believe it plays” in the field. But makes a lot of errors also with his arm. His offense has been pitiful. It looks like he just keeps moving further and further from the plate when he bats.
Throwing errors aren’t a barometer to measure his defense. Most SS don’t even have the range to reach the balls he touches.
Yes and no, Creature. He makes poor throws on many routine plays too.
Have to pay him anyway, so cut his ass.
It’s probably too soon to do that now, but I doubt he makes it to the end of that contract before they do cut him. My guess is with two years left they’ll eat the rest
If they eat 60-70 million of it, I’m sure they can find a trade partner that would work out a good deal for them. He still has some value.
@Jeff
It’d have to be $70MM. Is he any better than Jorge Mateo at this point? Mateo might offer more upside since he’s truly elite on the base paths. You could have him for less than $30MM for a few years.
@brian I agree, and I think they could find a trade partner who would give up a decent prospect or two if they did that. There still is a rebound possibility, not much of one but there is one.
It’s so funny watching everyone backpedal from the El Mago and best SS in the league talk now.
That talk never took place.
Seriously. I’m a die hard Cubs fan. Loved Javy during the Cubs run. Not once did I ever hear anyone say he was the best SS in baseball. Probably a bitter Mets fan still mad about the PCA trade.
It’s ok PCA isn’t that good
That’s a HORRIBLE take.
One of the best defenders and smartest baseball players on the planet.
lindor/ baez dp combo is sick!
Mortgaging the future lol, Crowe was one guy. He is also coming off a injury for next season so only time and god will know if he heals and performs. A prospect is just that, 1 out of maybe thousands actually turn out to be A mlb player and excel. Javy Baez is A proven commodity on A team that is built to win now. I do that trade any time. LGM
All comments made on this site
I think he would have been better off opting out and signing somewhere else, even if the money was less. He still has enough of a name brand to get a big deal, especially in this weak FA market. Maybe not as big as 4/98, but not far off. I mean, I would rather have Baez than Tim Anderson or Paul DeJong right now. And he could choose a place that is more friendly to his bat instead of that stadium where hits go to die in Detroit.
He’d be lucky to get a 1-2 year 8-15 million deal now. He’s a defensive replacement.
I think he’d get a low dollar no big deal to dfa contact like dejong. So likely leaving 70 million or so on the table.
While I agree that a new place might have felt better for him given the impression he’s made in Detroit, walking away from 100 would have been the most ill advised decision in baseball history. Does he even get a 10 million guarantee as a FA right now? Would be a huge risk given the last 1000 at bats. OPS+ of 91 in 22, 62 in 23. That’s absolutely brutal. As a Cubs fan, I admit that it’s tough to see him struggle so badly, but that swing is a complete mess and I just don’t know that it ever gets better.
The guy already has enough money to live a carefree life. Walking away from $100 million is a lot easier to do when you already have more than enough money to live on forever. For someone as wealthy as he already is, his legacy as a baseball player should be more of a priority than money now.
Baez is still only 30 and could be reminiscent of Adrian Beltre. I remember when Beltre left the Dodgers for the Mariners and struggled so mightily that his name was mentioned in conversation for worst FA signing of all time. But after he got out of Seattle, he got a 1 year make good deal with the Red Sox and then became a HOFer in Texas. Baez could have followed that same storyline, or at least given himself a chance at that, but he chose the money.
@hiflew, Baez has made $70M to date, nobody I’m their right mind would opt out in his situation.
As for the Beltre comparisons, Beltre was far more consistent in SEA with 19 HRs, 25, 26, 15, and then 8 final year there. Also had 36 doubles, 39, 41, 29, and 27. All while striking out far less than Baez has. You can also tack on the 2 Gold Gloves he won in SEA.
@hiflew, are you high?? No one, and I mean no one, will “walk away” from $100 million guaranteed if they weren’t positive they could get more. No one.
Once you have enough money to live your ideal life, what good is more? Not everyone lives their life completely defined by greed. So stop saying “no one” when you just mean you.
Hiflew is such a clown.Baez doesn’t get half of his current contract in FA.
Baez signed the deal because he wanted to make money. He didn’t opt out because he wants to maximize his earnings. Just because you think you would give 10’s of millions away doesn’t mean any rational MLB player would.
Also, great story about Beltre. He didn’t walk away from $97MM. He was a free agent who took a 1 year deal and ended up having a great career afterwards.
Much closer to what Cody Bellinger is doing now.
No, it’s literally no one. Only poor people say money doesn’t buy happiness.
I am someone. so it is literally not. If I had a choice of a $15 million contract for 1 year and a $100 million for 4 years, it wouldn’t be an automatic decision to me.
First off, you have to know that you are not giving up $85 million with that decision, you would be giving $10 million with the ability to go somewhere else where you might be able to improve your status and possibly make as much or more in those final three years. As I said, it worked for Beltre.
Secondly, $15 million is more money than I would need for the rest of my life. Anyone saying differently is just greedy. Anything more than that just adds to a pile that you will never live long enough to spend. And if you do spend it, then $100 million probably isn’t enough for you either.
Lol you say asinine stuff just to be arbitrary.
Don’t like what I write? Then mute me. Not that hard.
You not married , are you?
It’s not about you.
@Hiflew, had he opted out nobody would sign him for $15M for 1 season, even with this weak IF free agent market.
Say he had signed for $15M for a season though, you can immediately lob off 40% to taxes. Next is agent fees, plus anyone else he may have hired such as a publicist.
And for people eatning that type of $, it is not about how much they need for their lifetime. They are given unique opportunities to earn generational wealth to set their families up for generations to come. And if you say that is not important, that is simply untrue. We are hardwired genetically to push our genes forward and to maximize the opportunity for said genes to survive.
If he was a free agent right now, I couldn’t see any team giving him more than a pillow contract for $10-12 million.
And I agree that a change of scenery might help, but he should have considered that before signing there and he isn’t gonna learn plate discipline in a different ballpark.
In fairness, how do you know you don’t fit in the scenery until you go to that scenery. You can’t blame him for not seeing into the future with how the Tigers deal would work. 2 years ago, Detroit looked like a team set up very well for the next decade. Pitching injuries have completely ruined their rebuild.
It ain’t no Stanton at least.
Where’s Melchez’s statement about Scott Harris? Oh…me bad. Baez was an Al Avila signing.
Thankfully the Mets did not sign him. His Thumbs down turned out to be a harbinger
Love how there is nothing in the story about the Tigers working on getting him right. I kind of think this is the Baez they get for the remainder of his contract.
This contract has Jason Heyward energy
Can we say “overpay”?
Big if true.
He might have opted out if they planned on sitting him, like at the end of the season, but once he saw Zack claimed, he immediately opted in. (Sure, that’s the reason)
This was an Albatros contract from the jump. If Al Avila would’ve done his homework he’d have seen this guy was lost at the plate before signing in DET and wasted millions in the process. We’ll be hamstrung with this contract till 2027!
It almost seemed like they panicked to sign on of the remaining FA SS after Correa snubbed them.
Worst starting SS in the league
Shocker, the literal definition of a dog
Stunning decision. I am non-plussed.
Beware the MLB neck tattoo
Wonder if a move in positions would jump start his bat? Move him over to third, bat him lower in the lineup, and have him swing for the fences.
He’d become a true utility player if it was my club. I’d even make him a backup catcher too, let him get 80-100 PA a year at best. In 4 years he’ll be just like new still
I still remember, “How about not booing him at all?”. Lol, where are all the REAL baseball fans?
Rah rah….Gooooo Team!