Torres' Tigers return: effect on Colt Keith?

FAN BOTS

Thank you for watching the video     Link:https://www.mlb.com/tigers/news/colt-keith-role-with-tigers-2026     Important warning⚠️⚠️   My friend, please check the accuracy of the information. The information I provide may be  incorrect, late, or outdated.   #TigersReturn#TorresEffectOnKeith#MLBUpdates#DetroitTigers#ColtKeithFuture

Transcript

00:00Let me walk you through the story of Colt Keith and his position in the Detroit Tigers future

00:05plans. Back at their end-of-season press conference last month, Tigers president Scott

00:09Harris and manager A.J. Hinch were full of praise for Colt Keith, but it wasn't just

00:14about his hitting, they were especially impressed with his flexibility on the field. Think about

00:18his season, he was the team's starting second baseman on opening day in 2024, and they even

00:23see him as their 2025 opening day first baseman. But, down the final stretch of the season,

00:29his primary role was actually at third base. He only stopped playing there because a ribcage

00:34injury sidelined him in mid-September. When he returned for the division series, he was limited

00:39to being the designated hitter. Scott Harris pointed this out, saying,

00:44What he just did is really impressive. We just threw him at third base. I know he played some

00:48third in the minor leagues, but he hadn't played there in a while. We started doing it mid-season,

00:54and he performed really well making some plays. I found very impressive. And remember, he did this

01:00without a full off-season of preparation. He was just thrown into the fire and was able to handle

01:05the position. Manager A.J. Hinch added, Oh, and by the way, there's the offensive side, reminding

01:11everyone of his contributions at the plate. Now, with the Tigers preparing for 20,000...

01:1726. And Glaber Torres, returning after accepting Detroit's qualifying offer,

01:24that flexibility from Keith becomes incredibly useful once again. No player is more affected

01:30by Torres' return than Keith. Here's why. If Torres had declined the offer and signed with

01:36another team, Keith could have slotted in as at least the primary second baseman against right-handed

01:41pitchers, returning to the position where he started his MLB career.

01:45But the Tigers planned for this possibility. Keith began working at first base around this time

01:50last year, when the team was first pursuing Torres in free agency. Then, in June, he started mixing in

01:56at third base, once Spencer Torkelson hit his way, into the everyday role, at first base. As Hinch

02:02noted last month, think about all that happened over the course of a year, highlighting how complex

02:07Keith's situation has been. So, what's the outlook now? With Torres back, at second base,

02:13and Torkelson firmly at first. Keith's most direct path to getting playing time

02:18is at third base. This is where Torres' decision directly affects the Tigers' offseason plans.

02:24Tigers' general manager Jeff Greenberg was asked last week how the Torres' situation impacted their

02:30offseason work. He said,

02:32It impacts us from the sense of it's a player on our roster or not at a certain number.

02:37Obviously, if he's on our team, it will affect the rest of the infield, the outlook of the offseason.

02:42It's important to understand this isn't really about money. While Torres' $22, $25,000 qualifying offer

02:49is a raise from his previous $15 million contract, it's not a big enough difference to wreck the team's

02:54payroll. This is more about opportunity and making sure players get their at-bats.

02:58Under Scott Harris, the Tigers have prioritized creating opportunities for young players.

03:03Their moves in free agency and trades over the last few years haven't blocked a prospect or a

03:08young major leaguer. They've made adjustments when needed, and remember, Colt Keith is still very young,

03:14even with two full major league seasons. He just turned 24 in mid-August. He was the youngest player

03:19on the active roster, and even after recent roster moves, only three players on the 40-man roster are

03:25younger than him. Jackson Jobe, and prospects How You Lee, the organizations know. Chuck Gimbaudet's

03:31sixth prospect, and Theron Lorenzo, the number five prospect. Now, let's talk about his offense.

03:37Keith's development hasn't been flashy, but it's been steady. While his home-run power is still a

03:42work in progress, he took major steps this season to unlock it. The numbers show this guy early.

03:47He made the 14th largest improvement in exit velocity and the 9th largest improvement in hard

03:53hit rate among all MLB hitters. He also improved his barrel rate and had an elite rate of hitting

03:59balls in the sweet spot launch angle between 8 and 32 degrees. He unlocked more power while also

04:06improving his plate discipline, recording the 12th largest jump in walk rate and the 18th largest drop

04:12and chase rate. So, when the Tigers talked last month about improving their offense from within,

04:17Keith is a huge part of that plan. Whatever they do in the infield this offseason, whether they sign

04:22a free agent third baseman like Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suarez, or add a shortstop and move Zach

04:28McKinstry back to third, they must have a plan to find Keith the consistent at-bats he needs to continue

04:33his development. This is likely why the Tigers were intentionally open-ended last month.

04:38About what position Keith will play next year, Hinch explained it this way.

04:43We're starting to get breakthrough with his comfort level at these positions,

04:46and based on how our winner goes, we'll adapt accordingly. But at no point do I think this

04:51winner he's going to be able to say one position. For the best use of our roster and our team,

04:55I think he's a viable option at multiple positions. Given his versatility and development,

05:00where do you see Colt Keith making the biggest impact next?

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended