Detroit Tigers: 3 free agents to avoid signing

The Detroit Tigers shouldn't sign these free agents

Ever since the offseason started, we've been talking about free agents that the Detroit Tigers *should* sign, or *should* trade for. But what about some players they should avoid acquiring?

Nobody in the organization would say it, but the Detroit Tigers are probably regretting the Javier Baez signing right now. It's only one year into a six-year deal, but it doesn't look good at the moment. The last thing this team needs is more bad contracts.

In this article, we're going to go over three free agents the Detroit Tigers should avoid signing at all costs. These are all at positions of need for the team, but there are far better options out there. Let's get started.

2B Adam Frazier

Scott Harris wants to add a left-handed hitting infielder to the Detroit Tigers roster this offseason, and Frazier is...definitely a left-handed hitting infielder. He's played for three different teams the last two years. In 2021, he slashed .305/.368/.411 with five homers and 113 wRC+. Nothing too special except for the batting average.

In 2022, that went down to .238/.301/.311 with three homers and an 81 wRC+. What happened here? His luck ran out. You see, Frazier is a contact-first hitter. He doesn't walk a lot, but he doesn't strike out a lot either. He puts the ball in play.

Last season, his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) was .339, meaning he was getting very lucky with his hits. This is further proofed by his 25% hard hit rate, 1% barrel rate, and average exit velocity of 85.4 mph. His expected batting average was .288—less than his actual batting average of .305. He doesn't hit the ball hard.

That showed in 2022 when his BABIP dropped to .268, as did his hard rate to 23.8%. He's a soft ball contact hitter. The Detroit Tigers need power, and Frazier doesn't provide that.

Plus, if the Tigers did want a left-handed hitting infielder with crazy bat-to-ball skills, they could just keep Harold Castro around. He essentially does the same thing, although he strikes out more than Frazier. All in all, Frazier would be a pretty bad signing for Detroit.