The Tigers announced that they have designated outfielder Akil Baddoo for assignment. That’s the corresponding 40-man move for the club to select Jahmai Jones, a move that was reported earlier today.
It’s the second time in the past year that the Tigers have designated Baddoo for assignment. The first came in December, with Baddoo getting passed through waivers unclaimed at that time. He was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo came into 2025 as non-roster depth and performed well enough in Triple-A to get called back up in mid-May. But he hit .118/.167/.176 in seven big league games and got optioned back down to Toledo a couple of weeks ago.
He’s now been bumped off the roster again and will likely head to the waiver wire for a second time. A player with a previous career outright has the right to elect free agency. That means that the chances of Baddoo departing the organization are far higher now compared to December. If he is claimed, he’s obviously gone. If he’s not claimed, he could be gone in that scenario as well.
He has always performed well in the minors but his major league track record is more mixed. The Tigers took him from the Twins in the Rule 5 draft heading into 2021 and Baddoo went on to have a nice season, slashing .259/.330/.436 for a 108 wRC+ while also stealing 18 bases. But his big league time since then has resulted in a .201/.288/.323 line and 74 wRC+.
He still produces on the farm, with a .250/.351/.433 line and 111 wRC+ in that 2022-25 window when he hasn’t been hitting in the majors. Given his speed, defensive acumen and remaining option year, it’s possible he finds interest elsewhere. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, meaning the Tigers could explore trade interest for as long as five days.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.
Hey Tiger fans, what’s up with this guy? He looked really good as a rookie, but has done nothing since. Has he been hurt? Only 26, some team will likely take a flyer on him…?
Scouting reports came in and pitchers worked him accordingly and he could not adjust seen this many times.
He played a bit better in 2021. Even then he had a hot week in April and a good month of July.
Finally! Yabba Dabba Baddoo is gone. He can’t hit and not a very good fielder. But he made those two great plays in his first game this season. I knew he was going to stick on the roster after that game.
4A player. Long history of them. Colorado Rockies should take a flyer on him!
He’s a very good minor league player. He never panned out in the majors……
I wish him luck.
If anyone wants him they can have him. If he clears waivers release him and don’t resign him to a minor league contract. A change of venue might be best for everyone.
Well said, Well said.
Akil Baddoo is an exciting player who can light a spark under your team.
His 1st year in ’21 was his best with the Tigers.
In ’21, Baddoo showed flashes of baseball magic (both offensively and defensively). But, so far, Baddoo has been unable to sustain it over longer periods of time with diminished playing time.
Perhaps, a team that has an open spot with many ABs available will take a flyer on him and catch some of his enthusiasm and baseball skills in a bottle and have a surprisingly good addition to their team?!
Remember, Baddoo was a “Rule 5 Draft player”.
The Tigers had to keep him on the major league team his 1st year
or lose him back to the Twins.
It worked in ’21.
But, jumping Baddoo 2-3 levels to the majors before he was totally developed as a major league player, may have hurt his longer term development as a major league player.
With the Tigers farm system now brimming with great young talent, younger than Baddoo, he kind of got “lost in the shuffle”, had diminished ABs and was not given the time and ABs he needed to establish himself as a fulltime major league player.
Baddoo’s “riding the AAA shuttle back and forth to the majors with no really defined role and increasingly diminished ABs lead to the end of his time in Detroit.
Padres? Marlins? Mariners? White Sox?
Baddoo could be a fit for a team with a lot of ABs to fill looking for that special spark on offense and defense.
He is definitely a “change of scenery” player who could help a handful of ballclubs.
.
No special spark. He is a AAAA player. Once pitchers found the holes in his swing, he was finished. Wish him the best. We will need his open spot in Toledo to keep the guys moving up.
With the emergence of several young OFs Tigers OFs who are predominantly left handed hitters, it was a “numbers game” Tigers needed a RH OF.
Baddoo had fractured his right wrist in Spring Training so that set him back too.
I would not be at all surprised to see Baddoo become a pretty good player on another MLB team.
See highlight reel of Baddoo putting on a defensive clinic in LF at the Rogers Center in Toronto where he robs one hitter of a home run and then makes a diving catch in LF and doubles off the runner @ 2B in a double play!!!
That this year! mlb.com/tigers/news/akil-baddoo-flashes-glove-in-f…
Just not enough of that….
Baddoo just could never put it all together… he’ll get picked up, and hopefully someone will give him a shot and maybe he can prove everyone wrong, but I think the Tigers made the right move in moving on from him.
He had injuries like a broken wrist in
Spring Training this year.
Also consider that he was acquired by the prior Front Office so maybe he did not fit into the current Front Office’s plans?!
Honestly he is probably an upgrade over Jhonkensy Noel for the Guardians
I agree, but he bats left, so he’s not a candidate to platoon with Jones, and Baddoo is definitely not an option to replace both.
This was a couple years overdue.
Couldn’t agree more. Jones is far from the perfect replacement, but he can’t do any worse.
Can’t hit. Speed but a noodle arm.
Agree it was time to move on. Numerous chances.
So he’s a great fit for the Rockies
I hope the Rockies take a chance on Baddoo. I hope he does well.
Dang, look at that Royals outfield… they might even try him. He has a .283 lifetime average in Kaufman stadium.
Another minor league deal through FA on the way.
Aw, that’s too badd
..
Oo
The writing was on the wall, it’s too bad Badoo couldn’t recapture the success he had in his first year on the MLB team.
Sad
Baddoo had some injuries including the broken wrist in Spring Training.
If he is healthy, I think he could be a very good player helping some MLB team,
youtube.com/watch?v=n3Le4ZOPqv4
I question the reasoning behind DFAing Badoo and keeping Krider, but hopefully someone else gives him a chance to prove himself. Seems to be a good kid
Kreidler needs to go. He has never produced anything except defense.
Kreidler is a right handed hitter
and that may have been the deciding factor plus he plays INF and OF.
Baddoo is a LH hitter who plays OF.
Many of the Tigers OFs are LH hitters.
All true. And Kreidler still needs to go 😉
Akhik Baddoo has a very interesting background and story.
Akil Baddoo has strong ties to Ghana through his father’s lineage. His father’s family is from Ghana, and his grandfather came to the United States from Ghana. Baddoo’s middle name, Neoman, is also an homage to a family tribe in Ghana.
Baddoo is an easy player to root for and continues the Internationalization of MLB.
I remember a few years ago everyone wanted the Twins front office fired for not protecting him in the Rule 5 draft because he was the hottest rookie around. That didn’t age well…..
Hope Jahmai Jones sticks. He’s got power but where will he play?
Good luck Akil!