It’s been a long time, but finally, Javier Baez is returning to Wrigley Field.
The Detroit Tigers shortstop will make his first appearance at “the friendly confines” since July 29, 2021. In his final game with the Chicago Cubs, Baez went 2-for-4 in a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
He was traded the next day, along with Trevor Williams, to the New York Mets for outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
After finishing the season with the Mets, Baez followed the dollars to Detroit, signing a six-year, $140 million contract to join the Tigers. The 31-year-old hasn’t found success in the Motor City, slashing .221/.263/.348 over 358 games. This season his batting average has plummeted to a career-low .185, a far cry from the .281 average he posted between 2015 and 2019.
"He was uber-talented," Chicago manager Craig Counsell told the Chicago Sun-Times. "Yeah, I'm surprised (that he is struggling)."
Baez makes his homecoming as the Tigers start a three-game interleague series with the Cubs on Tuesday.
He should expect a warm reception from the Chicago faithful who remember the decade he spent in blue and white, starting with him being drafted in the first round in 2011 fresh out of high school.
“He meant a lot to this place,” said Crow-Armstong, who occupies Baez’s former locker. “I see why he was so loved. The amount of support that he still has from this fan base is huge.”
Baez became an everyday player in 2016 and was a key component of the first Cubs team to win a World Series in 108 years that fall.
He earned back-to-back All-Star selections in 2018 and 2019 and finished second in the 2018 National League MVP race to Christian Yelich after posting career highs in batting average (.290), home runs (34), and leading the NL with 111 runs batted in. Baez picked up his first Gold Glove following the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign.
The Cubs, who remain within shouting distance of a wild card berth, have to hope that Baez doesn’t recapture the magic that defined his tenure this week.
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