Is Isaac Paredes still an asset to the Detroit Tigers organization?

Looking back to the summer of 2019 and 2020 season when it finally unfolded, there was hope that the Detroit Tigers found their future shortstop with Isaac Paredes. However, it turned out that Paredes was not the answer for a future shortstop.

His time in the big leagues with the Detroit Tigers has not been the best as he has struggled to produce when in the lineup. There’s still some hope for him, but something has to give for him to be still considered a real asset for the Tigers.

There’s still a chance he will still get another opportunity to play in the big leagues, but he will have to shift around positionally and become an asset for the team in more areas than one. Paredes still has some things to work out if he’s going to end up being an asset for this Tigers team.

By asset, I mean a role-player who will slot into the lineup or at least on the 26-man roster in the future. I do realize that he could wind up being a trade asset for the team as well, but when I mention him being an asset, it is in reference to being an actual on-field benefit to the Tigers.

Detroit Tigers prospect Isaac Paredes is in a tough spot.

Paredes was one of the team’s more exciting prospects, but his first two stints in the big leagues were not great. In 2020 Paredes would see the field in the big leagues for 34 games where he had 108 plate appearances, slashing .220/.278/.290, which was not what the team was hoping for.

He would come back in 2021 to see the field in just 23 games where he accumulated 85 plate appearances where he would produce a .208/.306/.319 slash line. He has struggled to produce much at the plate.

It would be great to have Paredes around as a switch-hitter to use when needed off the bench, but even then, his performance has to increase. It’s harder to see him cracking the lineup when the team has Jeimer Candelario, Javier Báez, and Jonathan Schoop patrolling the infield.

With Willi Castro already being (sort of) ousted from the infield due to the Tigers’ big signing from pre-lockout times, Paredes is really going to have to fight to earn a spot. The situation itself might prevent Paredes from getting looks again and have him winding up as trade bait or being a throw-in if the Tigers were to make a package deal with another club.

It’s a tough situation for Paredes, who had such a high ceiling two years ago. It’s not to say he will not be a consistent big leaguer, but the track record so far is not boding well for that to happen.