Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez is headed to the Motor City

The Chicago Cubs had quite the run with their old core. Now, they are all moved on and potentially signing with teams other than the ones they were traded to. The first domino to fall was Javier Baez. The Cubs traded him to the New York Mets during the 2021 season but New York failed to make a run after that. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

He decided to sign a contract with the Detroit Tigers and come back to the midwest. He is there on a six-year deal worth 140 million dollars. It is an amazing contract for him after the way that the last year has gone for everyone involved.

It isn’t quite the 200 million dollar deal that he thought he was going to get before COVID-19 but it is still a really nice one for him and the production he brings. He isn’t the MVP candidate that he once was but he is still a really nice player.

Of course, Detroit has to be a little bit concerned with Baez’s plate discipline. It is hard to see it changing any time soon as he is past the development stage but you never know. With that in mind, it is clear that he still provides some incredible power to whatever lineup he is a part of.

Javier Baez is going to be a big part of the Detroit Tigers going forward.

With Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson potentially in the middle of that lineup with Baez, there is some potential for big power if they all reach their ceiling. With Miguel Cabrera there to show them all a thing or two, it should be a rather formidable group.

The Cubs are clearly not bringing back anyone from their old core. They didn’t sign them to extensions and are clearly a rebuilding team now. They weren’t winning with all of these guys so it was time to move on.

Baez will always be remembered for his heroics in a Cubs uniform but it was time to move on. It is fair to move on from him but it is also fair to wish him well in Detroit. With the Chicago White Sox on the other side of town, Baez will be making plenty of visits to Chicago over the next six years as one of their division rivals. It is a shame that the Cubs’ time to shine ended the way that it did but there is time to make it right.