It has been over three years since the Chicago Cubs began distancing themselves from their 2016 World Series championship to build the “next great Cubs team.” However, first-time experiences are continuing their ripple effects here in 2024. The next one will come on Tuesday night. Javier Báez will be returning to the Friendly Confines for the first time since being traded.
On July 30, 2021, the Cubs made a deal to send Báez and veteran pitcher Trevor Williams to the New York Mets in exchange for the Mets’ top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong. At the time, the Mets were still contending for a playoff spot. They felt pairing Báez with longtime friend Francisco Lindor up the middle would help their chances in 2021 and potentially lure Báez to sign in New York long term.
Ultimately, the Mets faltered down the stretch, but it wasn’t El Mago’s doing. He had an average of .299 with nine home runs in his 47 games with them. The chemistry between him and Lindo was not enough to keep him in Flushing, New York, and Báez took his talents elsewhere in 2022.
Before spring training in 2022, Javier Báez signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. He continues to play with the Tigers on that deal today. Meanwhile, Pete Crow-Armstrong has made his presence known in Chicago with the Cubs, improving daily.
But this course of events almost never came to be. Everything could have been different if just a couple of extra conversations had occurred over four years ago. Báez was that close to being a Cub for life.
From 2019 to 2021, the Cubs were under a lot of pressure. Three of their World Series heroes were due for new contracts simultaneously, and the Cubs showed no interest in signing all of them. Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo had deals set to expire at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
Báez appeared to be the one of the three the Cubs were able to at least meet at the table with when discussing an extension. Before the beginning of the 2020 season, it was reported that the Cubs offered Báez something in the $180 million range. You know what happened next. Things changed a lot.
The shortened 2020 season did not fare well for Báez, who batted just .203 with eight home runs. While things slightly improved in 2021, just like the other stars to be paid, the Cubs’ previous offer seemed to be off the table. Báez was shipped to the Mets, Rizzo to the Yankees, and Bryant to the Giants.
Since joining the Tigers, Javier Báez has significantly and unfortunately declined. Now in his third season as a Tiger, he is batting just .221 in Detroit with 32 home runs and 337 strikeouts. The Tigers have not had a winning record in those seasons.
Meanwhile, Pete Crow-Armstrong is beginning to emerge. His 23 stolen bases lead the team, and his defense in center field could one day rival the magic El Mago created for the Cubs at shortstop. He is definitely someone the Cubs are counting on to be part of the young core that takes the Cubs into the future.
Had Javier Báez decided to sign the extension offered to him in 2020, things would be different for both sides. Maybe the downfall would not have been so severe for Báez if he stayed in Chicago. Pete Crow-Armstrong could be on another team lightning it up, and we wouldn’t think twice about it. As of now, though, it looks like the Cubs played this one out correctly.
