Heading into 2025, Kerry Carpenter is one of the Tigers’ most accomplished young hitters. A career .276/.338/.512 hitter across 236 games in the majors, Carpenter missed time last year due to a lumbar spine stress fracture but raked when healthy, crushing the ball to the tune of a .284/.345/.587 slash line with 18 homers in just 87 games. For all of Carpenter’s success as a hitter, however, he’s been limited almost entirely to work against opposite-handed pitching. The lefty slugger has just 134 total plate appearances against southpaws during his time in the majors, only 32 of which came in 2024. As noted by Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, that’s an area Carpenter is hoping to get more opportunities in this season.
It’s a proposition that manager A.J. Hinch appears at least somewhat open to, with Hinch noting that Carpenter is “going to get opportunities and probably more opportunities moving forward.” Hinch also cautioned that those opportunities won’t just be gifted to Carpenter once the regular season begins, however.
“But more doesn’t mean every one. And more doesn’t come for free,” Hinch said, as relayed by McCosky. “There is a cost that comes with every decision and we will be weighing that. Last year’s evaluation doesn’t have to be this year’s evaluation. We have an open mind as to how to use our roster. But I stand behind that my job is to use the roster the best way we can.”
Concerns about Carpenter’s ability to produce against southpaws are understandable despite his minimal opportunities against them. He’s a career .202/.286/.303 hitter against lefties in the majors, with a 23.9% strikeout rate, a walk rate of 6.7%, and just four extra-base hits. Those strikeout and walk figures are actually pretty close to Carpenter’s career numbers of 25.6% and 6.9% respectively, but the complete disappearance of Carpenter’s trademark power will need to be overcome in order for the 27-year-old to be a valuable offensive presence against left-handed pitching.
In addition to more opportunities against southpaws, Carpenter is hoping to more frequently work his way into the lineup as an outfielder in 2025 rather than being limited to DH-only duties. Matt Vierling and Wenceel Perez will give Carpenter some competition for that job with Riley Greene and Parker Meadows entrenched in left and center field respectively, but if Carpenter can prove himself a viable option in the field and begin providing at least passable power output against southpaws, the platoon slugger could begin to put together a more well-rounded profile in 2025.
While Carpenter is attempting to carve out a larger role for himself in the outfield, the Tigers are trying to assess the future of veteran Javier Baez on the infield. Baez, 32, missed the club’s surprise playoff push last year after undergoing hip surgery in August. The six-year pact Detroit gave Baez coming off his impressive run with the Cubs from the breakout 2018 season that saw him finish second in NL MVP voting to a 2021 season where he was traded to the Mets and caught fire down the stretch has not gone according to plan.
Since arriving in Detroit, Baez has hit just .221/.262/.347 in three seasons. He remained a plus defender at shortstop for the club in 2022 and ’23, but even his glove took a step back last season and a strong late-season performance from Trey Sweeney as the club’s shortstop has left Baez without a clear role on the team going forward. As noted by McCosky, Baez has resumed swinging at 100% strength but has not yet begun to face live pitching. Even so, he’s on track to begin the season on time, and Hinch made clear that the club is glad to have him healthy and in the fold for 2025 even if his role can’t be determined until after he’s put rehab fully behind him.
One place where Baez appears to be a clear fit for the club’s needs is against left-handed pitching. The Tigers’ offense is heavily left-handed even after adding Gleyber Torres to the lineup at second base, and a right-handed hitter who can help to spell southpaws around the infield like Sweeney and Colt Keith should have plenty of value for Detroit. Baez has been a perfectly acceptable hitter against lefties even during his time in Detroit, slashing .268/.314/.433 (108 wRC+) with a strikeout rate of just 20.1% and 24 extra base hits in 284 trips to the plate against lefties between 2022 and 2023. If he can get back to that level of production against southpaws, Baez could be a key asset for the Tigers this year even if he doesn’t bounce far enough back to reclaim an everyday role.
Baez isn’t the only veteran attempting a comeback after struggling badly in 2024. Veteran right-hander Kenta Maeda is expected to get “every opportunity” to rejoin the club’s rotation after pitching to a 6.09 ERA last year and getting kicked to the bullpen after 17 starts, and news of an injury that will keep veteran righty Alex Cobb off the roster to start the season leaves two open spots in the club’s rotation behind Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and Reese Olson. Maeda figures to be in competition with Casey Mize, Keider Montero, and Jackson Jobe among others as he tries to earn one of those two spots.
In hopes of proving himself capable the soon to be 37-year-old hurler changed up his offseason routine this winter. According to MLive’s Evan Woodbery, Maeda began his offseason work with eight bullpen sessions during his time in Japan this offseason despite the fact that he’s typically waited until he returns stateside for Spring Training to resume throwing. The early start to his throwing program, Maeda noted, is in order to make sure he’s putting his best foot forward as he tries to recapture his rotation job this spring. In addition to starting his preseason regime earlier than usual, Maeda notes that he believes he’s fixed some mechanical issues he dealt with last year after working with the Tigers’ pitching development staff this offseason.
A return to form for Maeda would be a major help for a Tigers club with plenty of upside but little certainty in the rotation. Dominant as Skubal was in his Cy Young award-winning season last year, he’s dealt with plenty of injury issues throughout his career. The same can be said for Flaherty, Mize, Jobe, Matt Manning, and a host of other potentially key pitchers for the Tigers this year. Maeda’s own injury history is far from clean, but having an effective veteran starter at the back of the rotation should nonetheless be a major help for the club as they look for better results out of a rotation that saw only Skubal make more than 22 starts and only Mize and Olson join him in making at least 20 last year.
Javier Baez: what the hell happened to this guy?
Financial success. It kills the hunger and drive in many people.
No it has nothing to do with that. He has tried, he just was signed at a point where his bat speed and health had already started to decline. Stop trying to apply some unsupported facts just because you don’t like him.
No it has everything to do with financial success. You may want to lay off of the magic mushrooms.
Why?
There’s no need to ever throw him a strike nor is there a need to throw anywhere near the plate. He swings at almost every pitch.
It’s incredible how a guy with that much talent could almost stubbornly continue to make the same mistake over and over again. His refusal to discipline himself to lay off the outside pitch cratered what should’ve been a stellar career.
Actually his K rate has improved and he’s being more selective. He isn’t squaring up the ball. Maybe because of injury more likely because of age decline.
Are there still 1-900 numbers? Maybe that will help.
@GarryHarris – The Psychic Friends Network would really be a help here.
Hear he’s got a great personality too
See Mike Trout!
It wasn’t the money. He just has a horrible approach to hitting & his hip injury just exasperated things. Hopefully, he can hit Lefties & contribute. Sweeney is not going to hit Lefties. Perfect platoon if they both hit.
Maybe doesn’t like living in Detroit
He doesn’t live in Detroit
Would you????
Just say you’ve never been as opposed to some 40 year old joke for a laugh
Maybe grow up & not rip on Detroit. No professional athlete likes to live in a cold weather state in the offseason. Unless they have kids in school, they all live elsewhere.
As he aged all the worst traits of his swing remained while everything else just faded away. If I have to watch a season of him flailing at pitches to the outside of the the lefthand batters box, I’ll scream. Use match ups to keep him away from righties and he could be an asset. The Tigers paying him as if he was a franchise player when he’s not is the problem.
The Tigers hot streak started as soon as Baez was out of the lineup. What does that tell you? We are better off without him. I vote Sweeney over Baez.
That, or it could be Carpenter and Meadows being added to the lineup.
I’d vote for both: Baez gone and Carp and Meadows back.
He’s going to get one last chance to platoon this year. If he fails, he gets waived after the trading deadline. He will not play here in 2026 unless he contributes.
He might have a cunning and baffling issue…
He swings at pitches thrown to him back when he was a Cub. Worst plate discipline I’ve seen in my 44 years.
I don’t his free swinging approach changing all that much. I have to assume tho hos bad hip did not help him defensively at all. I’m expecting a rebound as far as his glove.
Hopefully, pressure to produce coupled with injuries. Now he’s healthy and the pressure is gone because everyone has given up on him, basically. The numbers look like he can still do well against lefties though. We shall see. But unless he bounces back to at least be a solid platoon partner, this’ll be it with Detroit. He’s healthy now so no more excuses.
The better question is: why did it work in the first place?
I never figured it out myself. The defense speaks for itself, but his hitting approach was always bottom 1 in the league. I guess he got by on mutant athleticism for as long as that held. Now he’s aged back to “normal professional” and doesn’t have the acumen to survive. That’s the only narrative I have to offer here.
@Brad I’d say ballpark and lineup protection helped a bit to. I agree on the athleticism being a factor as well.
Coming to DET Conerica wasn’t going to help. Don’t think the lack of lineup protection helped him either. He’s already hard pressed to see any good pitches since he ll swing at almost anything, with little protection he often came to late where pitchers could take more risk and he of course kept swinging.
Pitchers figured out just as they did with Kris Bryant and they couldn’t make adjustments. There are some guys you just don’t throw a fastball to and they can’t recognize breaking balls out of the zone. Guys like votto and rizzo can recognize and foul these off but Baez big swing doesn’t allow him to make contact
Ranch party. You would celibrate too if you had just purchased an awesome $20M Fl cattle ranch! Hinch knows. Ooops…
Baez has a ranch in Puerto Rico. Who would want to buy beef from Florida? The would be inbred with fent in their bloodstream from birth.
What was always going to happen.
Same thing that happened to Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and others. He got old and his skills are declining
Cabrera gained a ton of weight that contributed to his rapid decline. He became a singles hitter. He was on track to hit 600+ home runs and then he barely hit 500 home runs.
It happens.
@Sports The Miggy extension wasn’t the greatest but at least it kept him in a DET uniform for his milestones and he ll have Old English D on his plaque.
As for VMart, I was kind of leery of the 4 year extension following a career year at age 35. But even that could ve been overcome. I’d say the Zimmerman signing was what killed that contention window.
Miggy was an alcoholic so his body broke down prematurely. He got a couple of good years after turning 30 because he was the most naturally gifted hitter of his generation.
Baez might have a sauce problem too, or at least poor health habits, but his floor isn’t all time great high.
Miggy was nit an alcoholic, he was a young guy in his late 29s early 30s with a ton of $ and partied a bit too much. Many other young men do the same and that’s without the crazy amount of $, fame, and his lifestyle.
Yes they did the typical “He’s seeking help” that’d all PR stuff. It was just one of those lessons it’s time mature a bit.
I’d attribute most of his early regression to the lineup. He had no protection and that has a huge impact on type of pitches a hitter will see.
Baez can play plus defense at 2nd, 3rd, and SS (?), which means you can find a role for him. Worst comes to worst, as far as utility infielders go, he’s better than the vast majority (and he’s certainly more exciting).
Baez was only average defensively last year.
His defense has faded big time. Over the course of 162 games, he’d probably out hit Sweeney, but his glove fell off like RFK Jr.
Let’s see how he does in a platoon situation now that he’s healthy. This is definitely his last chance though
Out hit Sweeney? He can’t out hit my 13 yr old nephew stop it.
Beaz doesn’t play plus anything other than his paycheck.
Poster boy for the union.
The reason why many teams don’t do long extensions with players in their 30’s anymore.
The pitiful showings by Javier Baez & Anthony Rendon, is what makes many teams very leery of signing guys to long term contracts.
In Baez defense he has appeared in 360 of a possible 486 games with the Tigers (not counting playoffs). Rendon has only appeared in 257 of a possible 708 games since signing with the Angels. Baez’ offensive woes should have somewhat been seen coming going from playing half of his games in a hitter-friendly band box like Wrigley Field to the more cavernous Comerica Park. Rendon has just been a disaster from the word “go” and even Rendon was fairly non-committal about a long-term deal when leaving Washington and saying he didn’t really want to play past 34
2022 Baez wasn’t the hitter that they paid for, but he was ok. And, yes, he was much better on the road. In 23-24 the wheels came off. He’s been one of MLBs worst regulars, even on the road. Supposedly he’s been playing hurt for a while, so we’ll see… Best case scenario is that they get 2022 Baez back.
The “band box” thing is a myth. Yes, periodically if the wind is blowing out to left, it’s easier. But as Paredes (a dead pull hitter) showed last season, left field in Wrigley when the winds blowing in, is virtually unreachable. I’m betting it’s another reason Bregman chose Fenway over Wrigley.
Same reason he shunned Detroit. He must be hoping for lots of HRs in Boston then to opt out and still get his $200 million contract. No one is paying him that but he doesn’t seem to get it.
Javys stats against lefthanders seem decent. Usually “stats” and “Baez” in the same sentence make me want to puke. Maeda was okay once he moved to the bullpen.
He was on again, off agin in the bullpen which is a significant improvement from full-time off in the rotation.
It said he fixed something mechanically. With as many jacks as he gave up last season, I can see something mechanical being the reason.
Everyone knows the story. In Spring Training, before any regular season games are played, everyone is tied for first place, and every team has a chance. Keeping that in mind, I really like this team. I never realized that Baez was at least average against lefties, and that’s weakness in our lineup. Get him healthy and keep him away from righties and a Baez-Sweeney platoon sounds pretty good. I’ve always loved Carpenter and if things mentioned in this article break the right way, this will be an exciting team to watch. I know fans everywhere are saying that about their teams, but this is Spring, when hope springs eternal.
Today’s players spend entirely too much time inside the batting cages battling insecurity. Lumbar injuries and core muscle injuries are often related to too many swings trying to mentally “feel good”. Did you ever hear of Mays, Mantle, Yaz, Schmidt, Rose, Kaline,Boggs, ext with a pulled oblique or pars defect? Body can only take so much before it breaks down.
Players 50-60 years ago probably reported it as a stitch in their side vs. our knowledge today that it’s an oblique injury. Baseball is harder today than it was then because athletes, coaches, training, etc. are better.
That’s true. Lumbar and core muscle injuries only started happening after players stopped going to the local bars after the games and getting ship faced.
10 percent of the population have pars defects with slightly higher rates among athletes. The L5 just isn’t designed right. Has little to do with “too many swings.” If anything, the core strength required for those swings is protective.
Most pars defects go undiagnosed due to lack of symptoms. Those that throw symptoms tend to do so years or decades after a potential causal event. Often, the cause is unknown.
I’ve been told by Tigers fans, and read a few articles that stated verling would be the Tigers starting 3rd basemen. And it makes sense even more so now that they missed out on bregman. I don’t think that carpenter would be competing against him for an outfield spot. Maybe against Perez, but not verling. But that’s just an observation from a fan of another team looking from the outside in.
I think we will know more after spring. 3B is for whomever wins the job.
Vierling is a plus defensive OF and only meh at 3B. I’ll be surprised if him and Jung don’t split 3B with a sprinkling of Ibanez starts in there. Carp is okay in the OF but prone to injury and they need his bat in the lineup.
We need to stop thinking in terms of ‘regular’ and ‘starting’ players with this team….Hinch will still be platooning a lot for awhile, so the ‘starting’ players are going to shift based on the opposition’s pitcher, especially in the middle of a close game. I’m thinking only Greene is a ‘regular’ at this point.
I can see Sweeney getting some reps at 3B also
There’s a difference between effective platooning and overplatooning and I’m not a proponent of overplatooning. Kerry Carpenter should not be sitting on the bench when left handers are pitching. Especially when the rh hitter is inferior. Lineups work better when there is a mix of left and right handed batters. The edge goes to the pitcher if every batter is hitting from just one side of the plate.
Love Kerry Carpenter. Hope he can stay healthy this year
So between Baez and Sweeney, they don’t have a short stop who can hit right handed pitching.
You appear to be correct – Sweeney has reverse splits. However, the sample size is small.
Yeah, I agree with the sample size comment. He could have a “break out” year and flip those stats.
Short term fix for this year. McGonigle may be up in 2026 to play SS if he keeps hitting. They also tried Lee at SS last year but I’m not sure how well that worked out.
I’d like to see them try Lee at 3B some. Dude is built like Jose Ramirez. JR is one of those opponents’ players I always cite: “How come the Tigers can’t draft a guy like __Jose_Ramirez___?”
I can fantasize until it’s ruled out. Worth a shot, though. That body type has proven possible to have success at MLB – J-Ram, Kirby Puckett, Bill Madlock, Terry Pendleton, etc.
who’s this Lee person you refer to.no one on Tigers has that name.
Hao Yu Lee. He’s in AA and tore it up last year. The kid they got from Philly for Lorenzen.
Oh ok i thought you meant on their big league roster.I need you as my Tigers minor league info guy.i watch so much mlb games-every tigers game plus tons of other non tigers games i don’t pay much attention to most of minors.I wish milb games were pirated to watch like mlb games are i probably would watch some tigers minors games.It’s hard to find game hilites of minors or boxcores online.at least i can’t find them.
Thanks for letting me know about Lee.i was looking at his minor league stats.Hopefully his batting stats are that impressive in MLB.I never heard mention of him till you brought him up.
There was an article today that said he is more likely to be an option next year but could push his way in later this season.
The hopeful future of a Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Alex Faedo, Matt Manning and Matthew Boyd rotation was a distant 5 years ago..
Then there’s Bustalson! “D’OH!”
The Tigers need to find Miguel Cabrera and ask him to make a phone call to Nolan Arenado. At this point I 100% believe the Tigers and Cardinals could work out a trade where the money works, I just don’t think Arenado would approve the trade. But maybe if Miggy makes the call it changes his mind. I would suggest Jack Flaherty, but I don’t think they get along. Arenado would help the Tigers without really blocking any prospects. It’s a three year, front loaded commitment. The contract gets easier to swallow or unload with each passing season.
I plan to spend the summer with the Tigers as the team I watch most frequently on TV. I think they have a great team and I truly believe Arenado could help them get where they want to go.
They should tell his agent they will offer money to waive the NTC. Don’t tell him. Tell his agent.
Money usually works.
But they should only take on that salary in exchange for top, top prospects. Send something decent back.
When you consider Arenado and the 3 years left on his deal, you’ve got to think about what that means for next off-season when the FA market will be stacked and much better options at 3B would be available than an aging Arenado. And that would block either Vierling or Perez from playing as much. I think we’re just fine at 3B with Vierling as the primary starter. I think he’ll surprise everyone and hit 25-30 homers this season. He’s just getting into his prime.
Eugino Suarez, Berti, Urshela, Rojas, Moncada, and Bregman if he opts our. That’s next seasons 3B free agents. It doesn’t improve much.
@DonOsbourne
You think the Tigers “have a great team”? Really?
I honestly don’t see how that’s a rational evaluation.
Not a single objective model sees any basis for such an appraisal.
.250 is near superstar in Detroit after 11 years of Chris Illiches’ “rebuild’.
11 YEAR OF “REBIULD”!
And the fans still don’t realize they are being taken advantage of.
Now we have, “a 2 year window of opportunity’ with Skubal on the way out.
As long as fans will tolerate it. I really thought they were taking the opportunity to build a dynasty. I was wrong. I supported Chris Illiches efforts. I was wrong. I believed in the spirit of things. I was wrong.
So, Harris only gets 2 years to build a team? Tough crowd.
I think he’s done a pretty good job building something out of a mess. Organizational pitching is strong. Org. OF is strong. Org. C is strong. Infield is in flux, but with Colt, Jung & Sweeney learning now, with Lee, McGonigle and Rainer on the way to help the IF, and Mad Max slotting in with Parker and Riley in the OF, Harris will have built a pretty strong team in 4 years.
Complaining about the AA years is crying over spilled milk and being disingenuous about rebounding from the condition of the team after the Leland era.
Many baseball ratings experts are now rating the Tigers Farm as #2 in all of baseball. “,’25,’
26, 27 will be the 2nd, 3rd and 4th wave of promotions of young Tigers to the big league team. Lots of position players on the way. The window of contention has just opened a little early in 2024. The best players are still on the way. Baez may have to be released or traded for another bad contract ad/or change of scenery candidatee.
11 years later. What an accomplishment!
Look at the ChiSox top 100 prospects in 1 year. See what I mean?
Minimal effort, loyal fans, just raking in the bucks….
Most of the pieces that got tigers to post season last year were aquired by Al Avila including manager.Harris did not aquire a mess that is incorrect.Look up all the players in the organization and who drafted them i think your giving undue credit to Harris before he deserves it,
Don’t go by any ratings or predictions they mean nothing,
Great starting pitching and one of the best bullpens in the game. Pitching wins games. Torres was an upgrade as a bat. There will be internal improvements by some of their young players like Keith, Greene, Carp, Meadows, Sweeney, Malloy and Jung. They have Fetter (pitching coach) who was coach of the Year and Hinch who uses his flexible lineup to his advantage.
I think you said you are a Cleveland fan? Hope you like golf dude!
1 starting pitcher = great?
Skubal, Flaherty, Olson, Cobb, Jobe pkmlus others for the 5 spot. How is that not great? A Triple Crown winner, a real #2 and 3 and a potential rookie of the Year.
Olson could be another #1 and he is very young
Common lets not pretend Guardians aren;t a good team.They will be a pain in our ass again this year.hopefully we’re fighting with them for a spot.i can’t wait to see what happens,i hate offseason speculation by fans only thing that matters is what they actually do on field.Lets hope these weeks pass by fast and we can get things started.
Weakest lineup in MLB.
Miami and the White Sox are better? How?
Very young team and players. Many more players on the way from the #2 Farm system in all of MLB.
I’m one tigers fan very concerned about their offence,If it’s a repeat of last year we’re in deep trouble.
I honestly think that Jung/Vierling will come close to Bregmans stats from last year, but nowhere close on defence. With Arenado’s stats last year I don’t see him as more than a defensive upgrade for them.
If they don’t trust Jung at 3B they could try Lee there later in the year, run out Vierling and Ibanez, trade for a change of scenery candidate like Ke’Bryan Hayes or Brent Baty or try to pick up a young 3B in trade. They have tons of pitching to offer.
Just between you and me:
The point of an Arenado trade is not necessarily to upgrade the team, but to take on all of the salary in exchange for Quinn Matthews and/or Tink Hence.
Then trade him to someone else for more prospects by paying down the salary, especially if he plays well after a few months in Detroit.
Nah, what they have can come close to Arenado’s production. And for a helluva lot less. I say save the money for Skubal.
Skubal is not resigning in Detroit. He is Scherzer 2.0. may need to trade him if he is going on the free agent auction like most of Boras’s clients.
I like your idea of Nolan Arenado coming to MoTown but I doubt Miggy has any sort of influence.
Even if a player doesn’t hit, his defense can impact the team, especially pitching. That’s where Arenado can be a positive influence. Still, I think he will hit well enough at the Copa to be a positive contributor in the Tiger’s lineup.
So you don’t have a team switch from year to year?
I believe Baez has been dealing with a lingering injury that has gotten progressively worse and worse since 2021/22. Let’s hope whatever surgery he underwent fixed him and he comes back to AS form. He’s only 32. It’s certainly possible. I find it hard to believe the man went through that dramatic decline from 29-31 while fully healthy,.after having been a star player the season before he got here.
He never was a “star” player in the minds of anyone who put the guy’s play under a microscope. Flashy performer who had his moments, yes, but star? No.
He’s a star on sports centre. That’s how fans consume sports and base most of their opinions and player evaluations on. Highlights they see. Hard enough to watch your own favourite team 162 games.
Put his bat on the disabled list!
Javier had had some star moments but they are more often rare. Most of the time he’s a sulking bust.
If another team wants him, they can trade a roadkill muffler and I’d be happy.
Your comments are refreshing.I like hearing someone else not treating Baez like a piece of garbage like some of these hateful Tigers fans have,I’m embarrassed they root for our team.i’ve also thought like you injury might be part of it.People claiming he’s not trying are so idiotic.i’d hate to meet some of these people in real life.Over the last few years our fanbase has some people that make us all look bad,They treated Al Avila and Brandon Inge both like crap.They have the mentality of a 2 year old.
Javier Baez is being paid so much, it merits the extra scrutiny. As a fan of the team, not the player, by not criticizing someone for simply going through the motions seems sheepish. Fans who disagree with other fans opinions and attack their personalities says makes a statement about the attackers personality, not the other way around.
They all get paid too much money.Are you one of these fans that act like a 2 year old like i said? is that why my comment bothered you so much?if not you shouldn’t of cared less what i said.i stick to what i said because it’s true.No matter how bad a player acts doesn’t excuse disgusting fan behavior.i wasn’t specifically talking about people on here.i didn’t even mention you.But if the shoe fits.My comment was actually to Luke Strong i didn’t even know you existed till i woke you up.Go back to sleep nobody’s bothering you.
i meant to say no matter how a player performs not acts
Are denying there was a ranch party?
If Baez continues to swing at pitches that are 3 feet out of the zone and Harris doesn’t can him immediately…
Last year it was his eyes. This year it’s his back.
What was the issue with the previous year?
Head. It’s always been his head.
And you know that how exactlly ?
His 1st year wasn’t so bad he had 17 hrs it’s the last 2 that been really dreadfull.Not sure why people thought he was going to do at commerica what he did at Wrigley.He always struck out a lot as a Cub.his last year in nl 184 k’s
$140M buys a lot of excuses.
“D’OH!”
Some articles have come out recently that attempt to clear misconceptions about Baez & Tork.
First, Tork’s comments about not using the special equipment, intel, etc. didn’t mean he was ignoring help available to him. He was trying to convey that he has been thinking too much instead of just being athletic. His point was that he’s getting out of his own head and is just going to keep it simple. So that was good to hear. Tork seems like a good kid and I’d like to see him succeed.
Secondly, apparently Baez really is well-liked and is NOT a malcontent. There’s a lot of speculation about him because he’s kind of quiet. So it’s nice to hear he is liked, as well. I want to pull for good guys. Jerks, not so much. It would be great if both had big bounce-back years. The lineup could get deep pretty quickly.
I think the Tigers are the ones failing this player. He’ll go to another team and be done. Perhaps like Rico Brogna when he went to PHI.
I have no reason to think Baez is a bad person but it’s pretty obvious that he’s a poor player at this point. Maybe a platoon of him and Sweeney can be effective but that’s asking a ton imo.
Nixon was well liked. In fact, over half of the country voted for him……
Oh! Nice to hear from you Damus. I see that your understanding of facts, and your pretend occult mastery are still approaching novice level.
Come on, Deeds. You’re incompetent. “Dominant as Skubal was” is NOT PROPER ENGLISH. You can’t just leave “as” out to begin the sentence. It’s not optional! Grammar is not optional when you’re being paid to write.