Javier Baez is heading to the motor city.
This morning, Baez and the Detroit Tigers came to terms on a six-year, $140 Million deal.
Detroit finished 2021 with a 77-85 record and came into this offseason ready to spend big. They already managed to reel in lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on a five-year contract and acquire former Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart from the Reds. Now, Baez has been brought on board.
A move like this is huge for the Tigers. This is a team that hasn’t reached the postseason since 2014, and also hasn’t finished above .500 since 2016. But now, the Tigers have some young pieces to build around such as Casey Mize, Akil Baddoo, and Jeimer Candelario. Baez certainly helps with that, giving them a much needed veteran presence in the clubhouse to go along with Miguel Cabrera and help guide a young Detroit team to a brighter future.
With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring Wednesday night, there’s little doubt in anyone’s mind that a lockout will ensue once the clock strikes midnight, hence why we’ve seen such a flurry of free agent signings of late.
Baez, commonly referred to as “El Mago”, hit .265 in 2021 while popping 31 homers and driving in 87 runs with the Cubs and Mets. He was ineligible to receive a qualifying offer due to the fact that he was traded mid-season, meaning the Tigers will not have to surrender a draft pick.
Detroit now has some more depth in their lineup. Baez, Barnhart, Cabrera, Baddoo, Candelario, and Jonathan Schoop give them a pretty solid lineup. They’ve taken a big step towards contention. Now we’ll see if more moves follow. But they have indeed closed the gap slightly between them and the White Sox.
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