Detroit Tigers Shortstop Has Been Biggest Failure in 2024

What has been the biggest failure for the Detroit Tigers this season?

Aug 20, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez (28) reacts to his standing ovation for his first game back at Wrigley Field during the second inning in a game against the Chicago Cubs. / Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

It has been an exciting couple of months of baseball for the Detroit Tigers, as they are right in the mix of the American League Wild Card hunt. 

Since the MLB Trade Deadline, when the team decided to be sellers, the organization has become one of the hottest teams in baseball and, with a strong finish to the season, could be in the playoffs. 

When looking back at the end of August, it seemed like the Tigers were going to be looking toward next season, but a lot of credit has to go to the players and manager A.J. Hinch for staying motivated throughout the campaign. 

While there has been a lot of success for Detroit this season, there have also been some failures. One of the biggest issues looming over the team is the contract of Javier Baez. Recently, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com spoke about the shortstop being the biggest failure for the team this season. 

“Biggest failure: The Javier Baez contract looks like one of the biggest free agent follies ever. Frankly, it's kind of sad to see when we're talking about a player who at one time was considered baseball's most exciting player. (But not in an organized ESPN bracket kind of way anymore.) Baez has hit .221/.263/.347 as a Tiger. Since his 2024 ended because of hip surgery, the Tigers have gone 16-7.”

When Detroit signed Baez in 2022, it was a big splash for the franchise, as they hoped he would be a cornerstone player for years to come. However, since joining the Tigers, he has hit just .221 with 32 home runs in 360 games. 

Considering he was once an All-Star player with the Chicago Cubs, the rapid decline for him has been shocking. 

As a team that is on the rise, being straddled with a big contract on a player who really shouldn’t be starting is a big problem moving forward. As we’ve seen this year, the Tigers are ready to compete for playoff opportunities and likely the division next season. However, with another three years left on his contract, deciding on what to do with Baez is a big problem. 

Regardless of what happens in the rest of the 2024 campaign, the hope was that Detroit would spend some money in the offseason to help push this team over the top. However, with the large amount of money due to Baez, they might end up being hesitant about handing out another massive contract.