Should Tigers be blamed for Colt Keith's struggles because of Gleyber Torres signing?

There's no way to gloss over Colt Keith's struggles this season. Outside of his on-base skills—which are undeniable and a major improvement from last season—Keith has been a disappointment. The Detroit Tigers' infielder is hitting a meager .182 at the plate, and only two teammates have worse wRC+ marks than Keith's 75 among Tigers' regulars.

But did the Tigers contribute to Keith's struggles by signing Gleyber Torres this past offseason? Detroit, looking for some extra pop in the lineup, inked the former New York Yankees infielder to play second base with the intent to shift Keith from the keystone to first base.

Keith was coming off a successful season in 2024. After signing an $82 million contract extension shortly before his rookie campaign began, Keith posted a .260/.309/.380 slash line with 13 homers and 61 RBI. Keith's minor league track record offered more than enough clues that he was just scratching the surface of his potential, and could become a breakout star in 2025.

Should Tigers be blamed for Colt Keith's struggles because of Gleyber Torres signing?

But Detroit was looking to upgrade the lineup without breaking the budget. While the Tigers pursued Alex Bregman until the very end, Detroit's biggest offensive upgrade came in the form of Torres. He was coming off a solid last three seasons in the Bronx.

Torres' signing wasn't as much a replacement of Keith, but rather Spencer Torkelson. While Tigers fans aren't complaining right now, that wasn't the case for much of Tork's career. Prior to his offensive outburst this season, Torkelson hit just .221/.300/.392 with a 95 wRC+.

On paper, the idea of moving Keith to first base in place of Torkelson definitely had merit. But with Torkelson absolutely tearing up the competition and forcing his way into the lineup by outright assaulting the opposition, it's put Keith in a tough spot. The pressure to perform might be too great at the moment.

While the notion that some of the blame for Keith's poor performance could lie with the Tigers because of their lack of faith in his ability, fans should never shame a front office for trying to make the team better. There are several examples throughout Major League Baseball of contending teams whose general managers just try to improve around the margins and never actually invest.

Adding Torres was about making the Tigers a better team in 2025, and if Keith's performance has suffered because of that, the blame lies with him, not the organization. Sorry, Tigers fans, but Scott Harris' job is to make the team better, not to acquiesce to the finer feelings of one of his struggling players. Keith needs to follow Torkelson's example, and meet this challenge head on.

More Detroit Tigers News and Rumors