Things are not going very well a year-plus in, so do the Detroit Tigers have any way to get out of Javier Baez’s contract?
The Detroit Tigers showed evidence they wanted to get things on a better track when they signed shortstop Javier Baez to a six-year, $140 million contract after the 2021 season. Ideally, the former Chicago Cub would become a team leader and a very productive player.
Baez played 144 games in his first season as a Tiger, but his numbers (.238/.278/.393, 17 home runs, 67 RBI, nine stolen bases, 93 OPS+) were lackluster. So far this season things are not any better, and in some respects they might be going worse.
On Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, Baez took off from second base on a flyball that was caught. There was only one out though, and he was doubled-off easily. Manager A.J. Hinch took him out of the game, justifiably, but was sure to note that Baez’s mistake is more a symptom than the entire mental error problem for the Tigers.
Then Baez’s attempt to defend his mistake came.
So because he was hitting sixth in the lineup, Baez says his focus was off. He also admired the hit that resulted in a double, thinking he had hit a home run. Now he probably wouldn’t have gotten more than a double out of it, but it was still not a good look. Add in his base-running blunder, and it’s almost as if he wanted out of the game.
Do the Detroit Tigers have any way to get out of Javier Baez’s contract?
After going 2-for-3 with double and two RBI on Friday night, out of the cleanup spot in the lineup by the way, Baez is still only hitting .159/.245/.205 this season with zero home runs and three RBI.
Baez is due to make $98 million over the next four years after this season. His performance trend, going back to his time with the Cubs, says no other team is going to trade for him. At least not without the Tigers eating a hefty percentage of the money he is owed, so in that sense it’s a remote possibility.
But, a look at Baez’ contract (via Spotrac) shows a possible way out for the Tigers.
Baez has an opt-out clause in his deal….after this season. Would he opt-out and leave that guaranteed $98 million on the table? That decision would be predicated on getting more over those years, his age 31-34 seasons, from another team on the open market. It’s safe to say that isn’t happening.
Or the Tigers could legitimately regularly bench Baez if his poor performance continues, and embrace whatever ramifications come in terms of his public comments or attitude. Take away his name and his contract, and he’s barely worth a spot in the lineup right now.
So the Tigers are left to hope Baez simply, and illogically, opts out of his contract after the season. Maybe they take steps to drive him to do so, based purely on his performance making him unplayable with no argument to be made otherwise by him, his agent, the player’s union, etc.
The Baez deal didn’t look very good for the Tigers off the bat, and it’s unsurprisingly not going well a season-plus into it. But there’s no easy way out of the predicament, and the easiest way out is totally in Baez’s control.