The New York Mets officially have one of the most elite middle infields in baseball. Just days before the MLB's July 30th trade deadline, Chicago Cubs shortstop, Javier Báez, publicly expressed his interest in joining his old pal, Francisco Lindor, in New York. Báez even stated that he'd be willing to slide over to second base in order to play alongside Lindor.
Well, just hours before the trade deadline, the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs made that dream a reality, when the Cubs shipped Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams to New York in exchange for outfield prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong.
While there is room for concern with Báez, as he ranks second in the majors in strikeouts with 131 (only behind Oakland's Matt Chapman with 133) Báez is still a much welcomed addition to an injury plagued Mets roster. Báez has mashed 22 home runs, stolen 13 bases, and sports a modest .248 batting average this season with a 2.8 WAR.
While there are many Mets' fans who are skeptical of this move, my belief is that a change of scenery is exactly what Báez needs in order to get back on top of his game. Remember, this a 2x All-Star, NLCS MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner we're talking about here. Did I mention he's also a World Series Champion? Which means that he knows what it takes in order to win in October, something that the Mets will definitely benefit from if they are to make a deep and meaningful run this fall. Don't forget about his elite defense, either.
All in all, I think this was a good move, and I think Mets' fans need to just take a step back, calm down, and stop acting like spoiled children; at this point it's kind of annoying. Báez will make his Mets debut tonight, July 31st, when the Mets host the Cincinnati Reds at 7:10 PM.
P.S. I love Howie Rose.
Follow me on Twitter for all your Mets news, updates and rumors. @NY_cth.
-Chris
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