Tigers infielder Colt Keith has not played third base in the majors but could make his debut there at any time. Prior to yesterday’s game, manager A.J. Hinch said so, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
“We’re curious about how we can maximize this roster,” Hinch said. “I don’t know that it will be something that is primary, or I don’t know that it’s something you’re going to see a lot of, but there are a lot of times during games – as we do use our whole roster – where being able to put him over there could be very advantageous.” When asked if Keith is ready to play third, Hinch said: “I don’t know if he’s ready or not, but if the game leads me that way, I’m going to put him there because of the situations that we’re trying to win games. In a perfect world, he gets a few more reps of practice, but I’m willing to do anything to try to put these guys in a good position.”
Playing third base used to be quite normal for Keith. In 2021, his first professional season, that was his primary position. He logged 347 2/3 innings at the hot corner and 132 at second base. However, he suffered an injury to his right shoulder in June of 2022. He spent the second half of that year on the injured list. Issues with that shoulder flared up in 2023 and 2024, which led to him spending more time on the right side of the infield. He hasn’t played third since late in 2023 in the minors.
He was called up to the majors in 2024 and, as mentioned, hasn’t played third in the big leagues yet. He played second base last year, though the offseason signing of Gleyber Torres has pushed him largely to first base this year. Keith has technically spent more time at second than at first so far in 2025, though a lot of that time at the keystone was when Torres was on the injured list.
He has been doing some drills at third base lately and it seems the Tigers are satisfied enough with his progress that he’s a legitimate option there. Based on Hinch’s framing, it sounds like they are taking a cautious approach. Perhaps they will give Keith occasional looks there at first to see how it goes, with the possibility for more appearances if things go well.
If Keith is able to handle third, it would be a good fit for the club in a lot of ways, as the Tigers have a lot of options for the right side of the infield but are weaker on the left. Keith himself has a solid .244/.332/.390 line and 108 wRC+ this year. Torres is having a great season at the plate, with a .270/.383/.404 line and 131 wRC+. First baseman Spencer Torkelson has a .231/.341/.495 line and 134 wRC+.
The designated hitter spot allows those three to share a lineup but the Tigers would probably like to have Kerry Carpenter in there more often since he’s not a great defender in the outfield and has some recurring injury issues. He has spent a lot of time on the grass this year due to the Keith/Torres/Torkelson trio rotating through the DH spot, as well as a number of outfield injuries. However, Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez have both recently returned from lengthy IL stints. Between those two, Carpenter and Riley Greene, the outfield is more crowded than it has been all season.
Meanwhile, the left side of the infield is fairly wide open. Trey Sweeney has been the regular shortstop but he is hitting just .225/.282/.316 for a wRC+ of 70 this year, with subpar defense to boot. At third base, a hodgepodge of players have produced a collective .195/.272/.276 line and 60 wRC+. Only the Twins and Brewers have received less offensive production from the hot corner this year.
Jace Jung was given a chance to take the position earlier this year but he did not succeed. Of late, the club has been trying to cobble together a solution from utility players Zach McKinstry, Javier Báez and Andy Ibáñez. McKinstry and Báez are playing well on the whole but can’t seem to produce much when playing third. That may just be small sample noise, but regardless, the Tigers would surely love it if someone could solidify the position.
If Keith can handle third, it would upgrade the club’s production at that spot while also helping elsewhere. Torres and Torkelson could be the regular’s on the right side. McKinstry or Báez could bounce around as utility guys or perhaps cut into Sweeney’s time at short. The DH spot could open up for Carpenter and the club’s other outfielders.
The Tigers have the best record in baseball at 41-22 but no club is perfect and patching up any hole they can find will naturally help for the stretch run and in the postseason. It could also alter the club’s deadline plans if there’s a notable shift in the next month or so.
Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images
Javy Baez is a pretty damn expensive utility guy. Why not put him back at short – his defense is fine there, it was his offense that cratered after he signed the Big Deal. Now that he’s hitting just put him at short.
Not sure he isn’t enjoying playing around the field though. Seems like he became invigorated after he moved to CF. Whatever the reason behind it we need to bottle it for later
Must be nice to have too many good players and not enough positions for them. My team has never had that problem because Reinsdorf sucks a$$
The talk was they were going to platoon him and Sweeney at the start of the season. Maybe they will shift back k to that with Sweeney slumping.
Tigers need to trade for a legit 3B and SS.
Keith isn’t a great fielder at 1st or 2nd, there’s no reason to believe he’ll be better at 3rd.
Bichette makes a lot of sense for SS, and McMahon makes a lot of sense for 3B. They’ve got the players to deal without giving up their top prospects.
Javy at short would be fine
Bichette is only a rental and not that great defensively. I would only trade for him if we don’t have to give up any of our top ten prospects. McMahon is great defensively but not hitting great. I would do a few bottom 30 prospects maybe to see if we could get him to hit better. Bichette would be nice but I think they will want to much for him and Colorado never trades there players.
Bichette has positive 2.4 dWAR playing exclusively SS in his career, so I think he’s pretty good defensively.
McMahon is an adequate hitter with 20+ HR power. It’s a near certainty the Rockies trade him, they’re in last place and they need prospects more than a 30 year old 3B- they’re just wasting money on him and everyone knows it.
They kept Trevor Story, Jon Gray, and Daniel Bard when they were horrible. If it makes sense the Rockies don’t do it. As far as Bichette’s defense, I’m going off the media reports of Toronto thinking off moving him to second in the past. I thought it had to do with arm strength over range but I could be wrong. He is probably at least as good on D as Montgomery. I just would not trade a top prospect for either. Any of the non top 10 though sure.
Colt at 3B would be HUGE and end an organizational void since, what, Travis Fryman? Inge had his moments in ’06. Izaac Pacheco is finally living up to expectations, but he’s still years away.
Besides filling the 3B void, it would unknot the roster, allowing Tork to play 1B fulltime, Carp to DH fulltime (he has no arm in RF) and 2B to be filled by McGonigle/Jung/the 37 other 2Bs to slot in after Gleybor leaves in FA ’26.
Javy can still play 3B/SS/CF on a decreasing scale over his last 2.5 years.
Unless Toronto accepts Jung and a minor league arm for Bichette, I’d platoon Sweeney/Javy at SS until Rainer arrives in ’27.
Maybe Toronto would bite at Jung and/or Manning?
I doubt it, but I’d be all for it. I bet Harris would, too, since JJ & MM are pretty much dead men walking (IMO).
Since they have so much invested in Javy, I tend to doubt they’re going to add $$-payroll to the SS-position, and they’ll just ride Javy out through 2027 (unless he reverts to pre-surgery Detroit-Javy).
By then, Rainer will be getting close.
Colt moving to 3B solves a lot of roster issues.
If only Torres would have played third none of this would have happened
Manning has virtually zero trade value left and is a step away from being DFA’d and made free to any team who does want him. No one cares anymore that he was a first-round draft pick almost a decade ago. He’s now 27, recently demoted to the bullpen in AAA and hasn’t been dominant enough in that role to get another shot in the majors in the near future.
Agree. That’s why he’s in my trade offer! lol.
No, he’s not worth much. I’m not overly optimistic about Jung, either.
But then again, I’m not in favor of trading quality prospects for a Bichette rental.
They could always add Payton Graham and the Superfife along with Manning. Might receive a swift kick in the nuts at best .
Players that have been found wanting by the Tigers will not get the player they need. Manning is a non tender candidate. Other teams know that. Don’t propose Yankee fan type trades.
Honestly didn’t realize how far he’s fallen. In my mind he’s still a first rounder but clearly no trade value anymore.
Pacheco has looked great this yr. He has developed at a similar trajectory as Meadows. He’s obviously a different kind of player but he could be a big bat in a yr or two.
Yep, and he’s still very young (22).
Would Eugenio Suarez be available this deadline? McMahon could make some sense, but a power bat like Suarez would really help. Baez and Sweeney can split time at short, and as long as Baez is hitting, Sweeney can ride bench for all I care. If Bichette is available, then let Javy ride it out at third. He’s more than capable with the glove.
We had Suarez once upon a time .. Alfredo Simon I believe
Arizona’s been playing well lately, so I’d bet Suarez would be expensive..
Colt was drafted as a 3B, but he had arm surgery in the minors and they moved him to 2B presumably to reduce wear and tear on the arm. What has changed that he can handle it now?
Tork was drafted as a third baseman but they dropped that quickly. They do have gage workman back so maybe he gets a shot
Yeah that’s what this article is about.
He healed?
Colt is destined for the OF long term, unless he can handle 3B. I see him as Castellanos 2.0.
Trading for McMahon would make sense for the next 2 years, especially if he can start hitting. Trading a young arm and an OF could get a trade done with the ROX.
McMahon is a work horse at 3B but he isn’t hitting and he strikes out to much. In my oppion, Detroit batters all strike out to much so we don’t need another big strike out guy. I dont think Colt is right fit for 3B I think it would lead to an injury. There has to be other choices for 3B but I would leave SS alone.
It’s silly, Sally.
I rarely if ever comment on a player’s ability.
It takes a couple years for.guys to get.going…..
But SINCE WHEN is .244 SOLID?
Both Sweeney and Colt are near rookies and have not.hit stride.
Will they, can they?
I prefer not to say or speculate.
I will say:
Hinch got bailed out yesterday…AGAIN….
This time by Keith Colt or Colt Keith, one or.the other.
I don’t have much hope Sweeney will ever be much better than he is now. Eventually, he will be expendable.
But I think Colt is still improving. He was promoted fairly aggressively and has adjusted to each level. He is in the process of doing that again this year, as he has been hitting much better the last month.
I think Colt still has a future with the Tigers — provided it’s at 3B. I don’t like him potentially playing the OF at all, and he’s kind of stiff and un-rangey at 2B and 1B.
Going to 3B would be ideal, because McGonigle is better at 2B than 3B (like Jung and Lee). Colt could ultimately be moved (it’s an attractive contract still) but I wouldn’t be in a hurry to do it. He got the big ribeye yesterday. Pacheco may eventually succeed him, but lots of ifs with minor league development.
I think they should trade Keith this summer. I think his contract makes him more valuable than he actually is, see if Colorado would take him as part of a deal for McMahon. To me, that would make a lot of sense and fix the logjam.
Isn’t Keith hitting better than McMahon right now?
2.5 years of McMahon for 7.5 years of Keith… I’m sure Colorado would love that, not so sure about Detroit.
League average batting average hasn’t been at .260 or better since 2009, 16 years ago, and has been .250 or lower in seven of the last eight seasons. He’s getting on-base at an above-average rate while hitting for about league average power while playing half his games in the seventh most pitcher friendly park in baseball.
The Tigers-White Sox game was won by who blundered less. You mean the White Sox bailed out AJ Hinch?
Thank god y’all have no sway over this organization
I’d be worried if he were struggling like he was to start the season, but he’s been trending up (like he did after adjusting last season).. .244 is solid when you are only 23 and you are hitting at an .800+ OPS clip in May & June.
.244 is solid when the sport has abandoned average as an “important” stat. When teams don’t value anything but W rate and Power, high average players like Arraez don’t get paid, so they become scarce.
That’s not true. All 30 teams would line up if they could get a player like Brendan Donovan, Jacob Wilson, Steven Kwan, Nico Hoerner, or Alejandro Kirk. What seperates them from Arraez? They can do more than just hit for a good batting average. Kwan is a 3x Gold Glove outfielder and is probably going to win a fourth this year. Donovan can play all over the field at an average or better level. Hoerner is an outstanding defense second baseman and can swipe bases. Jacob Wilson is an average defense shortstop with average power. Kirk has consistently graded out as a strong defensive backstop. Arraez may be just as good of a hitter as those players, but he has been in the 30th percentile or worse of sprint speed, and is considered a below average defense first baseman and second baseman.
I’d be more concerned with his bat than his position right now
Colt Kieth’s defense on the right side ends up with extended innings and runs for the opposition. If he can play 3B, it’s a clear win. Hes blocking DH. Most here believe his offense will break out in the near future.
Didn’t he have the yips?
No. He got injured. Now he’s healed.
SS Trey Sweeney has bouts with ‘the yips’.