Detroit Tigers should look to upgrade from Akil Baddoo this off-season

Detroit Tigers should be looking to upgrade from Akil Baddoo.

The Detroit Tigers have already gone out and brought in one right-handed hitting outfielder this off-season, but they may want to consider making another move with their crop of outfielders. The way things stand, it's a very left-handed bat-heavy group, and Akil Baddoo might be one of the odd men out on most occasions, so why not look to upgrade?

It's not to say that the Detroit Tigers will go out and empty the farm on an outfielder like Juan Soto, but if they wanted to make a splash, they could try and work out some sort of trade. If not, the free agent market may be a good place to look, hoping to bring in someone to add to the outfield core and upgrade from Baddoo.

The former Rule 5 Draftee has been great for what he is. Taking things into consideration, he's a Rule 5 Draftee who was thrust into the big leagues. He shined in the spotlight early on and got off to an absolute tear in his MLB career. But like all things, water found its level, and the plateau came.

In 2023, Baddoo was again with the Tigers, logging 112 games where he accumulated 357 plate appearances. Baddoo slashed .218/.310/.372 with 13 doubles, a triple, and 11 home runs while driving in 34 runs for the Tigers. He walked 42 times and struck out 89 times in 2023.

He's not the perfect player or a picture-esque outfielder with gorgeous stats, but he fits the middle-tier build. His slash line could see a tick upward to make it more enticing, but there was some weight to the ability to hit for power and churn out some extra-base hits. Regardless, it may be time to consider an upgrade or at least see what other options might be available for the Tigers organization.

While there's nothing official about Baddoo being on the way out, it has been rumored that the Tigers may want to try to bring another outfielder into the mix. Baddoo is one of the players who would be on the hot seat as things stand. Bringing in another bat to replace Baddoo would not be the worst thing in the world, and Detroit could stand to keep improving.

Why not consider some of the options on the free agent market at a minimum? There are players like Kevin Kiermaier, Eddie Rosario, and even Teoscar Hernandez.