The Javier Baez era has not gone according to plan for the Detroit Tigers. After a brutal first season with the Tigers in 2022, things have gone from bad to worse for Baez in the early portions of 2023.
Baez was removed from the Tigers' game against the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday after back-to-back baserunning mistakes. First, he was slow out of the box on a ball that hit the wall and settled for a double instead of a would-be triple. Then, with one out in the inning, Baez thought there were two outs and took off on a fly ball. He was doubled up on the play and was visibly frustrated afterward.
Baseball fans on Twitter did not hold back after seeing the latest lackluster effort from Baez.
Is Javier Baez the worst baseball player of all time? https://t.co/ghzMk8hCW4 pic.twitter.com/2tXH48SVyf
— Jack (@YelichWasRobbed) April 13, 2023
Javier Baez is in the second year of a six-year, $140 million contract for those who are curious…
— Nick Reid (@ReidAboutSports) April 13, 2023
A lot of people thought the 2017 Astros got a light punishment but making AJ Hinch watch Javier Baez forget how to play baseball seems awful
— spencer🦕 (@Spenred) April 13, 2023
Baez has had one of the biggest dropoffs in recent memory over the last three seasons. The two-time all-star has been a shell of himself, but this season has been the worst of it. Baez is 5-for-41 at the plate through 12 games. The Tigers were 2-9 entering Thursday's action.
Detroit made a splash by signing Baez to a six-year, $140 million deal before last season. It has not paid off in the slightest on the field, as the product the Tigers have put out on a nightly basis hasn't changed despite the big-money move.
The Tigers haven't had a winning season since 2016. It doesn't appear that 2023 will be any different. When your supposed best player seems completely checked out, it leaves more questions than answers. It seems that Javier Baez signing with the Tigers was a mistake for both sides.
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