All or nothing, that is what you are going to get with Javier Baez, he will be among the league leaders in strikeouts but he will also be near the top of the list for homeruns. He is going to swing the bat, even pitches a foot outside the strike zone.
Baez, a twenty-eight year old middle infielder, spent his first six and a half years with the Chicago Cubs. In Chicago he was a two time all star, NLCS MVP, 2018 silver slugger award winner and a 2020 gold glove winner. Not to mention he finished second in the MVP voting in 2018. Over his career, he averages one strikeout per 3.4 ABs. The league average strikeout rate is 24% which is about one every four ABs. Overall, Baez has built a very solid resume over his six year campaign in the big leagues.
At the trade deadline this year, the Mets were in desperate need for an all-star caliber bat to plug into the lineup. There were rumors about Kris Bryant, to come and play third, but in the end the Mets went with Javier Baez. So far, in 88 ABs with the Mets, Baez is hitting .262 with 6 HRs and 11 RBIs, and a 31% strikeout rate. He has been pretty good on the field, off the field however he was already a part of a conflict in New York with the whole “thumbs down” situation the Mets had over the past week or so. That conflict has left a sour taste in some people’s mouths, but since then he has played a lot better than he was.
The Mets are only a few games out of the division lead, with the team heating up, they are looking to make a push for the playoffs. Since coming back from injury, Francisco Lindor has been playing a lot better, Michael Conforto has looked a lot better and Jonathan Villar has been red hot as of late. A guy like Javier Baez is crucial in a team’s success, a guy who has been to the playoffs many times in his career and someone who has been on a World Series winning team. Baez also brings a fire to the team, he is very energetic on the field and is a guy that can get the whole team fired up with one swing of the bat. The Mets need a guy with the experience and who can be a sparkplug and they got exactly that in Javier Baez.
What did the Mets have to give up to acquire Baez? They gave up Pete Crow-Armstrong, their first round selection in the 2020 MLB draft. The 19 year old centerfielder looked great in the six games he played at the beginning of the year posting a .417 average with two doubles and seven walks in his 32 total ABs. His season came to a halt when he had to get surgery on his right shoulder. Armstrong was ranked sixth in the Mets farm system according to Fangraphs. While this is a guy that has a lot of potential of being a very good leadoff hitter in the future I believe he was the guy to get rid of for Javier Baez. While the Mets farm system is very middle of the pack, they got to keep guys like Ronny Mauricio (SS), Francisco Alvarez (C), Brett Baty (3B) and even Matt Allen (SP) who are all guys on the top 100 list of prospects throughout the majors. The Mets made the right decision in my eyes to part ways with Armstrong over any of their other top prospects.
The Mets are a team who are making a push for a playoff spot, they had to make a move at the deadline, and they went out and made one. In my eyes this was a good trade for the Mets. They got a guy in Javier Baez who is a proven star in the league and did not have to give up any of their top prospects. Baez is very capable of coming into New York and leading this team to the playoffs.
Was the acquisition of Javier Baez a good move by the Mets?
