Can Detroit Find Trading Partner For Javier Báez?

[RandyMarsh]

There's a better chance of Avila getting rehired to run an MLB team than there is an MLB team trading for Baez. 

[mtutiger]

The situation with Javy is what it is, they will have to do what they can to manage the relationship and to try to get Javy to a place where they can maximize production from him while he is wearing the D. And this is one area where I have some trust in the manager. AJ has put in the work with Baez, especially during the last off-season, establishing a relationship and understanding with Baez that could withstand the fallout from last night.

I do think the situation gets to bigger questions about this team in terms of leadership... Who is the leader in that clubhouse among the players? Who has the stature to hold the room and deliver accountability? Of the vets, Miggy is a sideshow at this point (and is mercurial in his own way), it's not Baez, its not Austin Meadows (who is preoccupied at the moment). Eric Haase has been sort of cast in that role by the media, yet he has also seen lapses in his base running and play in recent days. 

The only guy who seems remotely close to being that guy is Jake Rogers, but he needs more time to settle in and prove himself in his own right.

It's more of a qualitative than a quantitative thing and may not matter as much as quantitative metrics, but from the outside looking in, they just seem to lack leadership and an identity. 

[Tiger337]

There isn't anyone on the team worth following.  If someone performs, he'll lead by example.  

[djhutch]

I've tried to think of another signing that was this bad in Tigers' history.  I know the Zimmerman signing wasn't great.  We paid too much for Prince, but got out of that.  I can't remember a contract that was supposed to be such a big splash end with such an enormous thud.

[chasfh]

I wonder whether Javy liked the idea of playing with the Tigers when Al Avila but not so much now that Scott Harris is here? Javy is pretty much an emotions-driven by-the-seat-of-the-pants kind of guy, and I wonder whether he might be chafing under the new studious data-driven rigor put in place by the new front office regime? I have no idea either way, but I do know there are players who like working with analytics to improve their game, and players who just want to show up and play ball, and I’m guessing Javy is in the latter group.

[Motor City Sonics]

I have seen Good Javy.   He's not old.  He's in there somewhere.  Gotta unlock it.  It's not too late. 

[Tenacious D]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I have seen Good Javy.   He's not old.  He's in there somewhere.  Gotta unlock it.  It's not too late. 

That’s what makes this so maddening.  We know he’s capable.

[Dtrain72]

Haaarrrveeee did things!

[Dtrain72]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I have seen Good Javy.   He's not old.  He's in there somewhere.  Gotta unlock it.  It's not too late. 

I watched him during the WBC and he just looked like a different, happier, more energized player than he has when he's got a Tigers uni on.  A major part of success in sports is where your heads at...and his head hasnt been in thr game with this team imo. Hopefully last night was a wake up call...because if he's dialed in, he can be a really good player. But if he's flat and not engaged, well, may as well bring up Short and sit Jav.

[Dtrain72]

Thing is, if Javy can juice himaself up mentally to actually want to be here and play in DET, the fans would love him...I dont think he understands this town's fanbase;  if he gives his all, all the time, and does what he can do, he'll have one of the best experiences in his career fanwise. But if he dogs it and is a turd, well, he'll get crucified 

[chasfh]

We did read not long ago that Javy works best with in-your-face coaching. I’m not sure I believe that, either. But maybe we’ll see …

[gehringer_2]

12 hours ago, Dtrain72 said:

I watched him during the WBC and he just looked like a different, happier, more energized player 

In an odd twist of circumstance given the overall composition of the MLB, the Tigers have an almost completely anglo position roster right now. The only native Spanish speaker other than Javy among the hitters is Cabrera and he's always kind of in his own world. So maybe it's just not a very social clubhouse for him. He's a Pro, it shouldn't make a difference, but people are still people and you know it can.

[mtutiger]

15 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

In an odd twist of circumstance given the overall composition of the MLB, the Tigers have an almost completely anglo position roster right now. The only native Spanish speaker other than Javy among the hitters is Cabrera and he's always kind of in his own world. So maybe it's just not a very social clubhouse for him. He's a Pro, it shouldn't make a difference, but people are still people and you know it can.

Eduardo, Jose Cisnero and Johnathan Schoop are fluent one imagines

Edited April 15, 2023 by mtutiger

[casimir]

Should’of kept a Castro.

[Tenacious D]

12 minutes ago, casimir said:

Should’of kept a Castro.

I miss those scamps.

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, mtutiger said:

Eduardo, Jose Cisnero and Johnathan Schoop are fluent one imagines

It's still quite the contrast from last year when the chatter on the Tiger IF was mostly in Spanish. Of course Javy didn't have a great year last year either! But just following on Dtrains comment that he looked more like a happy camper on his National Team.

[Tiger337]

2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

In an odd twist of circumstance given the overall composition of the MLB, the Tigers have an almost completely anglo position roster right now. The only native Spanish speaker other than Javy among the hitters is Cabrera and he's always kind of in his own world. So maybe it's just not a very social clubhouse for him. He's a Pro, it shouldn't make a difference, but people are still people and you know it can.

And only one African American - Baddoo.  Are they the whitest team in the league?  

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

And only one African American - Baddoo.  Are they the whitest team in the league?  

What, is it 1957 already?

[RandyMarsh]

I saw something the other day that caught me by surprise and that was that there is only 5 black starting pitchers and 14 black pitchers in total in all the MLB.  I knew there weren't many but I thought there would be quite a bit more than that. 

[Tiger337]

5 minutes ago, RandyMarsh said:

I saw something the other day that caught me by surprise and that was that there is only 5 black starting pitchers and 14 black pitchers in total in all the MLB.  I knew there weren't many but I thought there would be quite a bit more than that. 

Pitchers have always been disproportionately White.  I am not sure why.  I used to think it was racial profiling (like black QBs), but you would think that would have been alleviated with the modern scientific approach in baseball.    

[casimir]

5 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

And only one African American - Baddoo.  Are they the whitest team in the league?  

I honestly never really thought of the racial composition of the team until it was brought up.

[Jim Cowan]

Black players have generally been missing for decades.  The "next Willie Mays" is still out there but he plays point guard or quarterback.

[RandyMarsh]

I work for a Metro Detroit School District and I was happy to see in the past couple years our Varsity Baseball Team have more black athletes on it, I think there were 5 last year and we're at 7 this year out of the 15 total players on the team. Considering our enrollment is 40% black that means that percentage wise the baseball team basically lines right up to that. 

[tiger2022]

Why does it matter what the racial makeup of players is?

[RandyMarsh]

1 minute ago, tiger2022 said:

Why does it matter what the racial makeup of players is?

I think it's better for the overall health of the game the more diverse it is.