The Detroit Tigers are in Chicago to face the Cubs this week. The series marks the return of Javier Baez to the Windy City. It is the first time he has played at Wrigley since was traded in 2021. Beaz was dealt to the Mets at the trade deadline and signed a massive contract with the Tigers the following offseason. He spoke with Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune about his emotions returning to Wrigley Field.
“Javier Báez, in his first game back at Wrigley since the 2021 trade, still thinks of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series title team fondly: ‘“That’s one of the things that no one will take from you. You’re always going to be a champion here”' Monetmurro posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Baez was a key contributor to the 2016 squad. He played 142 games in the regular season, hitting .273 and knocking in 59 runs. He was more of a utility player at that time, playing at all infield positions and left field during the season.
In the playoffs, he turned it up a notch. Baez hit .318 with 5 RBI in the Cubs' six-game victory over the Dodgers in the NLCS. He was named MVP of the series. The World Series did not go as well for him, striking out 13 times in 30 plate appearances.
Those numbers have been similar to those World Series numbers since joining the Tigers. He is hitting just .221 with an OPS+ of 71 since joining Detroit. The team must fix Baez's issues in the second half of his contract to have a chance at returning to the playoffs.
Tigers need Cubs version of Javier Baez
The Detroit Tigers got off to a nice start this season, going 17-13 in April. They were just two-and-a-half games back of the Guardians and poised to be a surprise team in the American League. Since, they are 44-51, nine games worse than division-leading Cleveland and they are well out of the playoff picture,
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The good news for the Tigers is that they have a strong young core to build around. They recently called up infielders Jace Jung and Trey Sweeney to make their debuts. Those guys go along with young players Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, and Colt Keith, who are all under 25 years old.
Baez is set to be a key member of the Tigers for at least the next three seasons. He was given his contract because of his excellent play with the Cubs. He finished second in MVP voting in 2018, won a silver slugger in the same year, and a gold glove in 2020. His departure signaled the end of the era for the Cubs
The Cubs decided to move on from their entire 2016 core in the 2021 season, including Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber. The Yankees and Phillies have gotten great performances out of those players since acquiring them. The Tigers cannot say the same. Baez has been one of the worst hitters in all of baseball since arriving in Detroit and the team will get nowhere until that is fixed.
