Detroit, MI

Javier Báez embracing utility role for Detroit Tigers, especially if its in center field

Published

9 months ago

April 7, 2025

Javier Báez embracing utility role for Detroit Tigers, especially if its in center field

Javier Báez has played all over the diamond in his 12-year MLB career, but found himself in a new spot on Sunday for the Detroit Tigers.

Báez moved to center field for the final six outs of the Tigers’ 4-3 walk-off win over the Chicago White Sox after the team’s other shortstop, Trey Sweeney, pinch-hit for center fielder Ryan Krielder in the seventh inning.

The primary shortstop had played six positions — all four in the infield plus both corner outfield spots — across his first 11 seasons with the Tigers, Chicago Cubs and New York Mets, but moved to the middle of the outfield for the first time.

“It’s something that we prepare every day,” Báez said Monday. “Sometimes we gotta do infield stuff and outfield stuff so it’s a different level of preparation. But you know, whatever it takes to help the team win.”

Coming off an injury-shortened 2024 season and an offseason hip surgery, the Tigers are leaning into Báez’s ability to move around the field defensively. In six appearances early in 2025, Báez has played at shortstop twice, third base three times and center field briefly.

He is one of the Tigers’ answers to the injuries to outfielders Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling and Wenceel Pérez, who all remain on the injured list. He is a right-handed hitting option that can plug in against left-handed pitchers at either spot on the left side of the infield.

Báez is used to moving around defensively thanks to his time with the Cubs and former manager Joe Maddon, who tried to deploy him wherever the team needed his glove.

“I’ve pretty much done that all my career,” Báez said.

Báez didn’t see any action in his two innings in center, but was happy to make his major league debut in his favorite position in the field. He stayed in the lineup for the final two innings and started the ninth inning rally with a leadoff single for his third hit of the game. In 18 at-bats, Báez has six hits (.333 average) and three RBIs.

“That’s my favorite position,” Báez said. “(Manager A.J. Hinch) knows that and as soon as he told me in spring training, I got really happy.”

The focus, first and foremost, Hinch said, was that Báez came back healthy from his offseason hip procedure. Once that happened, the conversation shifted to how he could help the team, which led to the conversation of him moving around after primarily playing shortstop in his first three years with Detroit.

Báez has struggled since signing a six-year deal with Detroit in 2022, especially at the plate. In 2022-24, he hit .221 with a .610 OPS and 341 strikeouts across 360 games.

“As soon as that happened, I had a casual conversation with him about winning and the best use of him on this team was going to be moving around a little bit and he was thrilled,” Hinch said. “I think part of it is tapping into his athleticism that he feels like he has, given he doesn’t have a back issue and hip issue.

“The other part of it is, when you frame to Javy it’s all about winning, that resonates with him. He’s a winning player. He makes winning plays, winning decisions. And just because the stat line isn’t perfect doesn’t make you a non-winning player.”

Another utility option

After Báez left the lineup in late August, the Tigers had to tinker with the lineup with different options at shortstop, including Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney.

Sweeney has served as the primary shortstop so far, with Báez and McKinstry sliding around the field. Andy Ibáñez has been another option at multiple positions, and Vierling will be another when he returns from his shoulder injury.

The versatility allows Hinch to tinker with the lineup to position the hitters in advantageous spots against the opposing starter, or shuffle the lineup around mid-game to account for a pinch-hitter, as he did on Sunday.

“Matt Vierling, Zach McKinstry, Andy Ibáñez are three in particular who have to be ready for everything at a moment’s notice,” Hinch said. “Now you put Javy on that list too. It’s an amazing skill to be comfortable with the unknown and Z-Mac allows the roster to function properly.”

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McKinstry has been the preferred chess piece early. He has played at five positions in eight appearances this season, spending most of his time in right field after preparing in spring training to primarily play at third. He spends every day practicing in different positions in case his name gets called.

“I take a lot of reps during BP and get my work in before so super confident out there,” McKinstry said. “And A.J. is confident in me, so I’m confident out there.”

The buy-in from around the clubhouse is something McKinstry hasn’t experienced before, from himself to Riley Greene sliding to center field when necessary. He and Hinch both attributed it to the team’s collective effort to do whatever it takes to win.

“Everybody can play anywhere,’ McKinstry said. “And then you throw Javy in the mix playing center field, shortstop and third base and watching his athleticism continue to blossom at those different positions. Just watching him have fun again has been a lot of for me. … Everybody’s kind of buying into it and I think that’s what makes this team kind of tick.”

Jared Ramsey covers sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.

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Detroit, MI

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Debating Mike McDaniel’s fit for Detroit Lions OC job

But we also can’t ignore the drastic fall-off from the Dolphins’ offense. Partially because of injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill over the past two seasons, the Dolphins have finished 22nd and 25th in scoring offense in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Injuries can be used as an excuse, but the greatest coordinators find a way through the adversity.

Beyond that, there are questions about his philosophical and schematic fit. While the Lions have built their offenses on grit and physicality, McDaniel seems to favor speed and finesse. But maybe that’s exactly what the Lions need. Detroit has two speedy players in Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs, who could probably be utilized more creatively, and it’s hard to imagine anyone better than McDaniel to do so.

McDaniel also has a very long coaching history with a lot of different coaching influences and schemes—including his closest coaching guru: Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers head coach has a scheme that is both more congruent with what the Lions do and much more adaptable.

On this EMERGENCY PODCAST, our crew debates the fit of McDaniel in Detroit, along with our thoughts on the Lions’ other known candidate: Commanders quarterbacks coach David Blough.

Before that, Erik Schlitt, Ryan Mathews, and I discuss our biggest takeaways from Lions general manager Brad Holmes’ end-of-season press conference, including the future of David Montgomery, whether Holmes really took accountability for his mistakes, and our confidence in him moving forward.

You can catch our discussion in the embedded podcast below or on any podcasting platform you’d prefer. Just search “Pride of Detroit.”

You can also catch video of the show over on our YouTube pages. Here are the links:

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Detroit, MI

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens

Published

23 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Tarik Skubal, Tigers can’t agree on 2026 salary. Here’s what happens

The Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal did not agree to terms on a one-year contract for the 2026 season before the 8 p.m. deadline Thursday, Jan. 8, to exchange salary figures in the arbitration process.

Skubal filed at $32 million; the Tigers filed at $19 million.

It’s a difference of $13 million.

An arbitration panel will review the case during a hearing scheduled for late January or early to mid-February. The arbitrators must determine whether Skubal is worth more or less than the $25.5 million midpoint. If he’s worth more, they will select his $32 million proposal; if less, they will select the Tigers’ $19 million proposal. The panel isn’t allowed to choose a salary in between $19 million and $32 million.

The Tigers operate as a file-and-trial club in salary arbitration under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, meaning there won’t be further negotiations with Skubal regarding a one-year contract. A multi-year contract could still be negotiated, but it’s highly unlikely.

Skubal – represented by agent Scott Boras – reaches free agency after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old is positioned to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract.

If the two sides were to reach an agreement before a hearing, it would likely be a one-year contract with a player option, thus maintaining Skubal’s path to free agency in the 2026-27 offseason.

The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive $17.8 million in his third and final year of salary arbitration. He previously earned $2.65 million in 2024, then $10.15 million in 2025.

Why couldn’t the Tigers and Skubal agree on a salary for 2026?

The arbitration case for Skubal is unusually complex, thanks to a rarely used provision highlighted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Because Skubal has more than five years of MLB service time, he isn’t limited to comparing himself only to past arbitration-eligible players. Instead, he can compare himself to any player in baseball.

Those unique rights allow Skubal – who has five years, 114 days of service time – to point to MLB’s highest-paid pitchers (such as Max Scherzer’s $43.3 million per year from 2022-24 or Zack Wheeler’s $42 million per year from 2025-27), arguing that his elite performance warrants a salary in that range – not in the $17.8 million range, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors.

That’s what pushed the Tigers and Skubal to an arbitration hearing.

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

The current record for the largest one-year arbitration contract belongs to outfielder Juan Soto, who agreed to $31 million with the New York Yankees for the 2024 season.

If Skubal wins the arbitration hearing, he will surpass Soto and claim the new record with his proposed $32 million salary. If Skubal loses, then he will earn the $19 million salary proposed by the Tigers.

There are two other arbitration records on the line.

The highest-paid arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander David Price, who earned $19.75 million with the Tigers in 2015 – his fourth year in the arbitration process as a Super Two qualifier. The largest raise for an arbitration-eligible pitcher belongs to right-hander Jacob deGrom, who surged from $7.4 million to $17 million – an increase of $9.6 million – with the New York Mets in 2019.

Those records for pitchers will belong to Skubal – but only if his proposed $32 million salary is selected by the arbitration panel. He will fall just short of the records if the panel selects the Tigers’ proposed $19 million.

Skubal is the best pitcher in baseball.

More notably, he is on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

In 2025, Skubal registered a 2.21 ERA with 33 walks (4.4% walk rate) and 241 strikeouts (32.2% strikeout rate) across 195⅓ innings in 31 starts. He made the All-Star Game for the second time in his six-year MLB career.

Skubal became the first back-to-back AL Cy Young winner since right-hander Pedro Martínez in 1999-2000, leading the AL with a 2.39 ERA in 2024 and a 2.21 ERA in 2025.

The Tigers haven’t been to an arbitration hearing since right-hander Michael Fulmer in 2019.

Fulmer lost the case, receiving the Tigers’ proposed $2.8 million salary rather than his requested $3.4 million. Before that hearing, the Tigers hadn’t participated in an arbitration hearing since 2001 – and the Tigers haven’t lost a case since 2000.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon during the season and Tuesday afternoon during the offseason on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Detroit, MI

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is Rockies’ first signing of winter

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is Rockies’ first signing of winter

DETROIT — Former Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen has signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Colorado Rockies.

It’s the first signing of the offseason for the Rockies under new president Paul DePodesta. The deal includes a $9 million club option for 2027.

It’s the fifth straight winter that Lorenzen has signed a one-year deal following a seven-season tenure with the Cincinnati Reds.

Lorenzen, who turned 34 this week, signed a free-agent deal with the Tigers before the 2023 season. He made 18 starts and was selected for his first appearance in the All-Star Game before being dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee.

After a strong start with his new team that included a no-hitter, Lorenzen was moved to the bullpen and pitched sparingly in the postseason.

He found a quiet reception on the free-agent market, agreeing to a discounted one-year deal with the Texas Rangers before the 2024 season. He was traded to the Royals at the deadline and pitched well down the stretch, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with his new team.

He re-signed with the Royals in 2025 and put together another solid season, posting a 4.64 ERA in 141 innings with 127 strikeouts and 39 walks.

Colorado is known as an unforgiving home for pitchers, and the Rockies lost a league-worst 119 games in 2025.