Lakeland, Fla. — Technically, the position players don’t have to be here until Monday, but the clubhouse was stuffed with them on Wednesday.
Javier Báez was there.
“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do, to be honest with you,” he said with a laugh.
Spencer Torkelson got in a round of batting practice on the back fields, as did newly-acquired Tigers Matt Vierling, Nick Maton and Justyn-Henry Malloy.
“We should just stop doing a pitcher-catcher camp and a position-player camp,” manager AJ Hinch said. “We basically have a position-player camp going on on the back fields, it’s just voluntary. But to me it’s great. It’s time to get spring training going. These guys want to work. We have our full coaching staff here.
“I’d be all for bringing everybody down at the same time.”
Hinch has talked a lot about not dragging any of the mess from 2022 into this year and that must’ve been music to Torkelson’s ears.
“It’s a fresh start for all of us,” he said. “But I’m going to use all of it. Last year was an amazing lesson. It was tough going through it, but if you go about it the right way, you learn from it, you get better from it, you grow from it.
“And then you take all those lessons and bring them into this year and see what happens.”
Torkelson, the first overall pick in the draft in 2020, endured a miserable rookie season. He hit .203, slugged .319 with just eight home runs and 28 RBIs. His struggles were so pronounced he was sent to Triple-A Toledo at the All-Star break and didn’t return until September.
“It was so tough and I tried not to let anyone know it bothered me,” he said. “I just showed up every day trying to win. But it was right there. I was in survival mode, just trying to keep my head above water doing whatever it took.
“Now I’ve taken a step back and I learned a lot. I’m ready to go.”
He spent the offseason pounding the weights harder than ever before and the added muscle mass is visible. He also spent a lot of time working to clean up his swing mechanics with new Tigers hitting coaches Michael Brdar and Keith Beauregard, who both live near Torkelson in the Phoenix area.
“I have a feel for things again,” he said. “I am feeling really confident. There were so many things that I’ve taken away from last year, but it’s just going back to being myself. I wasn’t myself last year. This offseason was crucial for just getting back to myself, having fun playing the game and knowing that being myself is more than enough.”
The Tigers didn’t bring in a veteran first baseman to challenge Torkelson. Like it was last season, that everyday role is his to lose.
“There’s no pressure,” he said. “It’s all about coming in every day and working hard and winning that day and being a good teammate. The rest will take care of itself. But there is no added pressure about earning it back. I’m going to be me and I’m going to work hard and things are going to happen.”
The competitor inside him, though, has been sparked.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I feel that great players rise above failure. It lit a fire in me to take that into the offseason and kind of go back to the drawing board. … Last year happened and I’m thankful it happened. Now I’m more ready to go this year.”
Blond Báez
Báez, like the rest of his teammates on Team Puerto Rico, already has dyed his hair blond ahead of the World Baseball Classic next month.
“I’m just excited,” he said. “Just from the last time we played in the Classic and how much fun it was. I’m just really excited to be back.”
This is a big year for Báez in several ways. One, he wants to bounce back from a below-standard first season in Detroit. And two, he can opt out of his contract with the Tigers after this season with four years and $98 million remaining.
A productive season will help give him leverage in free agency, certainly, but it could also help keep him here — which he sounded very much in favor of.
“I just have to have a good year and see how the team plays this year,” he said. “We’re building something here. There are rumors about different stuff, but we’ll see what happens. I obviously don’t want to start a new chapter with a new team. We’re here trying to win.”
Asked if a competitive season here will help his decision to stay, Báez said, “For sure. A lot of things here are mental and we’re going to fix them. We’re going to make this a winning organization.”
Star struck
Sometimes you forget that these players were also at one time fans. Malloy, the third-base prospect the Tigers got from the Braves in the Joe Jimenez trade, will turn 23 years old on Sunday and he has played just eight games at Triple A.
His reaction to seeing Báez directly across from him in the clubhouse was priceless.
“Mainly, coming into this, I just want to be a sponge,” he said. “I want to learn from guys like that (pointing sheepishly toward Báez). Sitting right there in front of me. Just learning and creating relationships around me. I think it’s going to be a good time.”
Malloy, who has a chance to play himself into the mix at third base at some point this season, hadn’t yet introduced himself to Baez.
“For me, personally, I’m a fan,” he said. “But it’s so weird because he’s right there. I just think he brings fun. I have no idea who he is, we haven’t even talked. But he looks like someone who brings a lot of fun to the field every day.”
You can say the same about Malloy.
Around the horn
The Tigers invited another veteran reliever to camp on Wednesday, signing former White Sox lefty Jace Fry to a minor-league deal. Fry, 29, pitched in 162 games over five seasons for the White Sox. He was a workhorse in 2018 and 2019, but was injured and ultimately released in 2021. He spent last season pitching in Triple A with the Nationals and Phillies.
… The Tigers also made official the signing of former Rays right-hander Matt Wisler to a minor-league deal and camp invite.
… Infielder prospect Wenceel Perez may not be ready to open camp Monday. He is dealing with inflammation in his lower back. The Tigers said he is still in the process of completing treatments and a core stabilization program.
… Hinch said 19 of the 31 position players invited to camp will play multiple positions. Vierling, he said, could get work at six positions (all three outfield spots, third base, second base and first base). “The other 12 players are probably going to come into my office and say they can play other positions, too,” Hinch said, laughing.
… Hinch opened his media session Wednesday morning by saying his and the team’s thoughts are with everyone at Michigan State and East Lansing. “I know we’re all tired of talking about gun violence when people lose their lives,” he said. “But if we don’t continue to hammer it home we’re not going to see it change.”
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky