Detroit Tigers Shouldn’t Bother With Chase Headley

By Brad Faber @Brad_Faber on October 31, 2014

Back when Chase Headley was a member of the San Diego Padres, the Detroit Tigers were long thought to have interest in his services. Now that the 30-year-old, switch-hitting third baseman is headed towards free agency, some Tigers fans are calling for the team to make an effort to sign him.

Part of the reason Tigers fans may be enticed by the idea of signing Headley is because of his defensive prowess at the hot corner. Rookie Nick Castellanos struggled a bit at third base in 2014, and Headley would seemingly provide a clear defensive upgrade. While having an infield consisting of defensive wizards such as Headley, Jose Iglesias and Ian Kinsler most certainly seems intriguing, the Tigers would be wise to stay away.

Obviously, if the Tigers were to sign Headley, it would likely have an impact on Castellanos’ future. The Tigers could ask him to move back to the outfield, but they have already asked him to move around quite a bit since drafting him back in 2010. Castellanos deserves to have the chance to stick in one spot where he can continue to grow comfortable. The Tigers could also entertain the thought of trading Castellanos, but that would be very risky as well considering the fact that he is only 22 years old and most likely has not even scratched the surface of how good he can be.

Sure, Headley has played a little outfield, logging 196 games in left field in his career, but it is hard to imagine him coming to Detroit to play the outfield when he could easily go somewhere else to play his natural position of third base. Furthermore, the Tigers would most likely only be getting a mediocre bat in Headley, which could easily be a downgrade from Castellanos. Back in 2012, Headley had a monster year, hitting .286 with 31 home runs and 115 RBIs while posting an .875 OPS, but he has simply not been able to come close to those numbers in the two seasons since.

Castellanos will likely continue to get better on both sides of the ball, and the Tigers would be wise to stick with him as their third baseman.

Brad Faber is a Detroit Tigers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Brad_Faber, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.