Javier Baez puts painful words to what ruined his Tigers introduction

Through the first three seasons of a six-year, $140 million contract signed with the Detroit Tigers, Javier Báez was quickly looking like one of the biggest free-agent mistakes in recent memory. As the Tigers went on their postseason run in 2024, it seemed Báez was becoming an afterthought on the roster moving forward.

Báez had hip surgery at the end of the 2024 season, and what wasn't known at the time is that it would set the stage for the former star shortstop to have a second life with the Tigers.

During a recent conversation with Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Báez opened up about the struggles he faced during his initial run with the Tigers and the impact it had on him.

"Honestly, all I can say is I didn't make any excuses when I struggled for three years," Baez said. "It's not that I wasn't working. I was pretty much playing hurt. I didn't want to get out of the lineup. I didn't want to miss time. I had good energy the whole time. I didn't have a negative attitude. It was f-- --ing frustrating for sure, but I'm the same guy every day. My teammates know that."

Javier Báez has a painful reflection on his initial years with the Tigers

Any Tigers fan who has watched Báez this season has seen the athleticism on display that made him a superstar with the Chicago Cubs. The magical plays have returned for Báez this season, creating viral moments for his defense at shortstop and as the Tigers' center fielder. With Parker Meadows back, it seems that Báez's time in center field will be limited moving forward, but his added versatility this season has given him a home on the Tigers' roster.

Far be it for us to throw rain on this parade that is Baez's comeback story, but there is a need to mention that he has experienced an offensive regression in recent weeks. Baez's two-home-run game against the Boston Red Sox on May 13 marked a point where the baseball world took note of his comeback story; however, there has been a troubling trend since then.

In Báez's 75 plate appearances since that game, he is slashing .189/.200/.257/24WRC+ with only one home run. Time will tell if this is just a blip in what has been Báez's comeback storyline, or if the regret over his contract will begin to creep back in, but at least we've seen progress from him, because that's all that matters for Tigers fans.