Detroit started the season with hopes of winning the championship and a big financial commitment to their star shortstop. The Tigers came in seventh overall with an 86.9% optimism score. This was thanks to their ace pitcher, Tarik Skubal’s rise to fame, and a huge $140 million investment in their key player. What happened next was one of the worst collapses in baseball history, turning hope into heartbreak.

Javier Báez is the $140 million man. His six-year deal made him and Skubal the two most important players in Detroit’s rebuild. Báez’s selection to the All-Star Game seemed to prove the Tigers right, as he had only been playing center field for two months. The group thought they had put together the pieces for a playoff run, with Báez being the key to their hopes of winning the champio

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