The Chicago Cubs (17-15) certainly look to be on the right track and it's speculated the club might look to make a move before the trade deadline to put themselves over the edge to potentially get into the postseason. It's not clear who they'd chase, but it might be clear who they're willing to part ways with.
With their middle infield seemingly settled with Starlin Castro at shortstop and Addison Russell at second base, it doesn't appear as of right now Javier Baez will have an integral role with the Cubs. While other trade rumors suggested president of baseball operations Theo Epstein could deal either Castro or Russell to the New York Mets for a starting pitcher, such a scenario seems more and more unlikely as time goes on.
Castro is batting .280/.301/.371 with 13 runs scored, 3 home runs and 20 RBIs, on top of displaying improvement on defense, while Russell is slashing .250/.280/.431 with nine runs scored, two home runs and nine RBIs in 19 games. While neither is having an unforgettable campaign thus far, both are still more promising than Baez's .169/.227/.324 effort with 25 runs scored, 9 home runs and 20 RBIs in 52 games last year.
On the Baseball Tonight Podcast, ESPN Insider Buster Olney lightly touched upon the trade rumors surrounding the Cubs with Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com.
"Come July 31 there is no way Theo Epstein is going to trade from that talented young base unless it's somebody that's expendable," Rogers told Olney on the Baseball Tonight Podcast. "At this point, maybe Javy Baez is expendable, just to give you a name."
"He just returned from bereavement leave not too long ago ... it's a work in progress, it's going to be a while. There's probably a spot on the roster at the big league level if he finds his swing ... but he is not on the front-burner for the Chicago Cubs, he's really on the back-burner."
It's tough to tell, though, because it's been said the Cubs view shortstop as the best position for Russell, which would imply Castro could be moved at some point, whether that be on the field or in a trade. If that happened to be their thought process, it's likely they'd keep Baez. Additionally, Baez has picked things up since returning to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and he's batting .265/.357/.429/.786 with four runs scored, two home runs, five RBIs and three stolen bases in 13 games. He struggled mightily this offseason between the Puerto Rican Winter League and spring training, so his recent numbers suggest a big improvement.
However, an MLB scout noted Baez is in need of a "change of scenery," which may suggest it wouldn't be surprising if the Cubs are exploring trades. Baez has his flaws, but the potential is there and he possesses the tools to be a major leaguer. The 22-year-old just still needs work with his swing to make better contact and avoid striking out too much, and it's just a matter of whether other clubs would be willing to take a risk on him.
The Cubs could be active at the trade deadline if they continue to play well, so look out for Baez to be involved in such talks.
