Javier Baez (31, Detroit Tigers), once a Silver Slugger for his power, is on his way to one of the worst contracts of all time.
Through 125 games of the season through Thursday, Baez is batting .217 with eight home runs, 54 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 102 runs batted in, a .263 OPS and a .576 slugging percentage.
Baez also has a wRC+ of just 57. He avoids a negative FWAR thanks to his defense and baserunning, but it’s not enough to justify his $22 million salary.
Baez just signed a massive six-year, $140 million contract with Detroit for the 2022 season. A contract with a $25 million cap hit.
However, Baez began his downward spiral with a wRC+ of 88 in his first year in Detroit, and this season is proving that there is a basement underneath.
The thing is, Baez’s downfall was somewhat predictable. Even when he was an All-Star, Baez struck out a lot and had a low slugging percentage.메이저놀이터
In 2018, his peak year, he hit .290 with 34 home runs and a .326 slugging percentage. The following year, he hit just .316.
Notably, he drew 184 free passes in 2021, the season before his big contract with Detroit. Nevertheless, Detroit gave Baez six years and $140 million.
Baez struck out 119 times this season while drawing 21 walks. That’s about 5.7 times more strikeouts than walks. There’s no such thing as a pioneer.
It’s very unlikely we’ll see a resurgence in Baez before the improvements in his plate discipline. And it’s unlikely that Baez will improve his stuff.
In the end, Detroit signed a defensive shortstop to a six-year, $140 million contract. What a waste.