With the current surplus of shortstops in the Cubs' system, could prospect Javier Baez make sense for the Mets?
According to ESPN New York, the Chicago Cubs could be the newest trade partner for the New York Mets. With the Cubs' acquisition of shortstop prospect Addison Russell from the Oakland Athletics, there has been speculation that the team will try to move either current shortstop Starlin Castro or Triple-A prospect Javier Baez. Though Castro would be an immediate upgrade over Ruben Tejada, his price tag may be too high for the Mets to make a deal. Baez, who is hitting .240 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, sounds like a better fit for the Mets, according to the report.
Baez is the sixth-best prospect in baseball according to Beyond The Box Score's 2014 Consensus Rankings, and is said to have the fastest bat speed in the minors. He is athletic enough to stick at shortstop, but both his offense and defense are not completely polished yet. He is viewed as one of the highest-upside infield prospects in the league.
The Mets' recent hot streak has made the team's trade intentions unclear heading towards the deadline. A move for Baez would indicate that the Mets are trying to build for the future as opposed to acquiring someone to help them win this year.