Detroit’s decision-makers have a real problem on their hands. The Tigers are playing their best baseball in years, winners of 27 of their last 43 games, which is tied for the second-best record in MLB since June 1. And now they’re about to get a veteran bat back in the lineup just as the trade deadline looms.
Javier Baez played his first rehab game Thursday night for Detroit’s Single-A affiliate in Lakeland. He started at shortstop, went 0-for-2, and took a hit by pitch before getting pulled in the seventh inning. The plan, according to Evan Woodberry of MLive, is to move Baez to Triple-A Toledo this weekend and then potentially activate him soon after.
The timing here is interesting. The front office has to decide whether to buy or sell at the deadline, and getting Baez back adds a layer of complication. He’s owed $24 million next season, the final year of a deal that has been a disaster for the Tigers. But he’s also the kind of player who can change a game with one swing, even if his numbers this season (.667 OPS, two homers, six RBI in 24 games) don’t jump off the page.
Baez has been out since late April with a severe right ankle sprain. He’s 33 now and clearly not the same guy who finished second in MVP voting a few years back. But the Tigers need outfield help. James Outman has been getting the starts in center field, and while he had a nice three-RBI game against the Royals on Thursday, he hasn’t been consistent enough to lock down the job. Parker Meadows is still out with a broken arm, so there’s an opening.
The word is Baez could slide into a center field platoon with Outman when he returns. That would give the Tigers a right-handed option with some pop against lefties, and it keeps Baez in the lineup without forcing him to play shortstop every day. His defense at short has slipped, but he’s athletic enough to handle center in bursts.
The bigger question is what the Tigers do at the deadline. They’ve climbed back into the wild-card conversation, and the players believe they can make a real run. But the front office has to think about 2026 and beyond. Holding onto Baez doesn’t hurt them cap-wise since the money is already committed, but trading him would mean eating most of that salary or attaching a prospect to move the contract. Neither option is great.
For now, Baez is just focused on getting healthy. He’ll likely join the big league club sometime next week, and the Tigers will have to figure out the rest on the fly.
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