3 reasons Detroit Tigers' Akil Baddoo could be trade candidate this offseason

The Detroit Tigers would be foolish to non-tender Akil Baddoo.

Cutting a 25-year-old who has played just 309 games in his career, simply because of a crowded outfield, was never something president of baseball operations Scott Harris considered. His team control and raw skills are too valuable.

"He still very much fits in," Harris said.

Any rumblings about potentially non-tendering Baddoo, thus forcing him into free agency, didn't make sense for these three reasons: He is under team control through the 2027 season, he has two minor-league options remaining, and he has displayed flashes of plate discipline, power and speed.

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"We're not an organization that wants to give up those types of players who can really affect the game in that way for nothing," Harris said Tuesday at the general manager meetings. "It's really early for me add specifics to it, but there's a role for him."

At the very least, Baddoo will provide outfield depth in Triple-A Toledo for the price of a projected $1.7 million in his first offseason as an arbitration-eligible player.

Salary arbitration is typically reserved for players with at least three years of service time, but Baddoo qualified for Super Two status with two years, 119 days of service time. Two days of service time pushed him past the two-year, 118-day cutoff.

Baddoo is set to earn roughly $1.7 million in salary arbitration, rather than the $740,000 minimum salary.

All things considered, Baddoo appears to be the perfect tender-and-trade candidate this offseason. The Tigers won't give him up for nothing, but what about giving him up for something?

After all, Harris wants to be active on the trade market.

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"I'm always trying to be active," Harris said. "Whether I can find something that I can get across the finish line is a totally different question. But we're obsessive about trying to find ways to get better."

Here are three reasons (aside from team control) why the Tigers could trade Baddoo before 2024 spring training:

Mark Canha

The Tigers acquired outfielder Mark Canha, a right-handed hitter, in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers to start the offseason. Adding Canha helped balance the lineup but also created a roster crunch. There are currently six outfield-only players in the mix for opportunities, including four left-handed hitting outfielders.

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The Tigers, barring further outfield additions and assuming Matt Vierling spends most of his time at third base, could have as many as five true outfielders on their Opening Day roster: Canha (RHH), Parker Meadows (LHH), Riley Greene (LHH), Kerry Carpenter (LHH) and Justyn-Henry Malloy (RHH).

There isn't room for Baddoo.

But Baddoo, a left-handed hitter, doesn't have anything else to prove in the minor leagues. He has hit .281 with a .394 on-base percentage across 45 games with the Mud Hens, both as an optioned player and on rehab assignment. Outfield depth is important, but probably not for nearly $2 million.

The surplus of left-handed hitting outfielders is evident throughout the organization. Another lefty outfielder — Max Clark, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft — just started his professional career, but at the earliest, he could join the Tigers during the 2025 season.

Matt Manning

Another potential trade candidate is right-hander Matt Manning. Both Manning and Baddoo have upside that other teams could be interested in trying to unlock, though Manning is more valuable.

The Tigers would net a greater return by packaging two players with multiple years of team control. Just about every team needs starting pitchers this offseason.

The New York Yankees need left-handed hitting outfielders, including a left fielder, and pitching reinforcements, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman at the general manager meetings. Cashman indicated he would be willing to part ways with 23-year-old infielder Oswald Peraza in a trade.

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Manning is under team control through the 2027 season, has two minor-league options remaining and possesses an above-average four-seam fastball because of his elite extension.

In 2023, Manning logged a 3.58 ERA with 21 walks and 50 strikeouts over 78 innings in 15 starts. But he generated a below average 15.8% strikeout rate, struggled to command more than two pitches in the same outing and didn't consistently pitched to his full potential.

The Tigers acquired Canha by trading from a right-handed reliever surplus in the minor leagues, sending Blake Holub, a 25-year-old righty reliever, to the Brewers.

In the same way, the Tigers have a surplus of right-handed starters in Manning, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Keider Montero, Spencer Turnbull, Ty Madden and Jackson Jobe, and that list doesn't even include wild cards like Wilmer Flores and Dylan Smith.

And the Tigers, despite their starter surplus, are shopping for veteran pitchers in free agency.

Akil Baddoo stats

Baddoo just finished his age-24 season.

His 11.8% walk rate ranked seventh among 54 players in their age-24 season or younger with at least 300 plate appearances. His walk rate ranked third among outfielders in those categories, behind only San Diego's Juan Soto (18.6% walk rate) and Pittsburgh's Jack Suwinski (14%).

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Only Baddoo, Soto and Suwinski from the pool of 54 players produced at least a 10% walk rate, at least 10 home runs and at least 10 stolen bases. (Seattle's Jarred Kelenic had 11 homers and 13 stolen bases but a 9.9% walk rate.)

In 2023, Baddoo hit .218 with 11 home runs, 42 walks (11.8% walk rate) and 89 strikeouts (24.9% strikeout rate) over 112 games, adding 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts. His sprint speed ranked in the 91st percentile, and his chase rate ranked in the 71st percentile.

Baddoo hasn't matched the results of his breakout 2021 season, but it's worth noting that his OPS improved from .558 in 2022 to .682 in 2023. He also hit more pull-side home runs, polished his plate discipline and improved his below-average defense in left field.

Other teams, or the Tigers if he sticks around, could look to expand upon those developments, specifically with bat path adjustments.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Tigers' Akil Baddoo could be trade candidate