Will The Chicago Cubs Keep Javier Baez Long-term?

Chicago Cubs’ second baseman Javier Baez is under a lot of pressure to perform well in 2017. With a bunch of top-prospects waiting to be called up from the minors in the near future, a dip in performance could signal the end of his tenure with the team.

The Chicago Cubs have a surplus of talented players on their roster, heading into the 2017 season. While young stars such as Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Kyle Schwarber make daily headlines for their superb play, it’s the organization’s minor league talent that’s now generating just as much buzz. And that could spell bad news for Javier Baez.

Baez is expected to play a major role with the Cubs this upcoming season. His defensive versatility and improved hitting have earned him playing time every game, regardless if he starts or comes off the bench.

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The key for Baez is to find consistency, particularly with his bat. Known for his aggressive swinging mentality, Baez will need to display more patience at the plate. And in turn, avoiding costly strikeouts.

No one is questioning his stellar defense. That’s been Baez’s specialty since putting on a Cubs’ uniform. Manager Joe Maddon loves having players on his roster who can flash the leather.

Still, as Maddon showed throughout the post-season, he’s not afraid to bench a player who is struggling mightily offensively. Hence in point: look no further than Jason Heyward. The poor guy was benched multiple times in the post-season, despite being paid boatloads of money for the foreseeable future.

Don’t think that Maddon won’t be tempted to start doing the same thing with Baez in 2017 if he too struggles at the plate. If anything, Maddon will be more tempted to play him less as the season moves along if that’s the case.

Maddon can afford to play Baez less frequently from here-on-out because of the organization’s minor league talent. Up-and-coming prospects such as second baseman Ian Happ and outfielder Eloy Jimenez are just two of many waiting in the wings. Waiting for their time to shine on the big-league stage.

As these prospects have proven in Spring Training, they aren’t far away from making an immediate impact in the majors. While their fielding abilities might not be stellar, their advanced hitting may force Cubs’ management into promoting them up to the majors far sooner than expected.

That’s why Baez is under a ton of pressure in 2017. The organization wants to find out if he’s their future long-term answer at second base. Mainly because Ben Zobrist is not getting any younger at the position.

If Baez plays well offensively in 2017, the Cubs won’t feel tempted to call-up their star prospects as quickly. But, if he struggles, management might want to see what they have in someone like Happ at second base instead.

Remember, the organization brought up Addison Russell to the majors far sooner than anyone expected. Same with Kyle Schwarber. If you prove you’re able to hit, you’ll have a spot on the Cubs’ roster in no time. It’s as simple as that.

The Cubs are looking for new ways to improve as a ballclub. If they want to repeat as World Series champs, they’ll need their offense to continue thriving on all cylinders.