Three hundred miles from Wrigley Field, a profusion of Cubs fans, some of them wearing No. 9 Báez jerseys, rose to their feet and gave a large ovation Monday night.
They were cheering the shortstop who electrified for 815 games as a Cub, who helped win a curse-breaking World Series, who could frustrate and fail, sure, but who always seemed to make up for it with another big swing or sweet slide or mind-blowing play. For some, that’s still the expectation when Javier Báez steps to the plate.
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It is puzzling, though, to see how far Báez has fallen only 2 1/2 years removed from his Cubs tenure. He entered Tuesday’s game in Detroit hitting only .223 with a .594 OPS. He is on a six-year, $140 million contract with an opt-out after this season he almost certainly will not exercise.
Monday in the visiting dugout, Cubs manager David Ross — Báez’s teammate on that 2016 World Series team and his manager from 2020-21 — reflected on the magic and mystique that once made Báez a beloved Cub.
“He’s a World Series champion, forever ingrained in Chicago Cubs history,” Ross said. “The guy is a phenomenal player, exciting player, he’s one of those players you buy a ticket to come watch. There’s no telling what might happen with him on the baseball field.”
Later, Ross was asked if he was surprised to see Báez struggle to the degree he has in Detroit.
“Yes,” Ross said.
The manager sat there for a few seconds, shaking his head, before he finally elaborated.
“Why does it shock me?” Ross said. “Because I’ve seen him be so great. I’ve seen him be so good for a really long time. And I know he loves to compete and I know he loves to win and I know he loves to play baseball. So I know it can’t be for a lack of trying and effort and wanting to be out there every single day and have success and put on an amazing show.”
Four pitches after those visiting fans rose and cheered, Báez struck out looking. Later in the game, he struck out again, this time via one of his signature flails at a sweeper nearly in the other batter’s box.
Hayden Wesneski, Nasty 83mph Sweeper. 😨 pic.twitter.com/4r1tq4PRI5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 22, 2023
Last weekend, Báez stood at his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse at Progressive Field in Cleveland. It was his first full day back with the Tigers after missing four games on the bereavement list.
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Báez had flown to Puerto Rico to be with family for his grandfather’s wake and funeral.
Báez is a man who has suffered his share of loss in only 30 years of life. There was his father, gone before Báez turned 13. Then his sister, gone when he was 21. When his grandfather, Isaías, died, the emotions hit Báez hard.
As his family made memorial plans, Báez remained with the Tigers. He showed up to the park, but on more than one occasion felt too emotionally drained to play.
“My grandpa, for me and my family, was a big inspiration,” Báez said. “Nobody prepares to say bye, for death.”
Báez’s loss served as a potent reminder of his humanity even amidst a second disappointing season in Detroit. Báez deeply values family, and privacy, and trust. He also wears his heart on his sleeve, both through his emotional play and the sheath of tattoos that cover his body, most of them honoring his family, or his home, or his past.
The time away from the Tigers provided Báez a chance to escape and exhale from the grueling nature of a major-league season.
“There was a lot of family that flew in from the United States,” Báez said. “Just seeing them there and being able to hug them and telling them I was there for them was huge for everybody. … I’m pretty sure I had my excuses to stay home and to be with my family and stay closer to my family. But obviously we got our things to do, and I’ve got to (play baseball) to take care of my family. I just want to be with my teammates and try to finish strong right now and go back to be with my family after the season.”
Báez returned to the Tigers with renewed focus, as he often seems to after any sort of reset. He had two hits on Friday night, his first game back with the team. On Saturday, he hit an opposite-field home run that proved to be the difference in a 4-3 Tigers victory.
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“It’s another person I’m gonna play for,” Báez said of his grandfather. “It’s hard, but yesterday I kind of came and saw the ball a little better than I’ve been seeing the ball. I think it kind of slowed everything down, too.”
Each time Báez does something magical these days, it can be seen two ways: A touchstone for the player he can be, and a remembrance of the player he simply has not been since joining the Tigers.
“Hopefully,” he said, “I stay focused and finish strong.”
The Cubs came into town rolling toward an improbable playoff berth, with Dansby Swanson worth 3.9 fWAR at shortstop, their spirits high and their play on the upswing.
In the Tigers, they faced a young team recalibrating after a failed rebuild, a club with some budding talent but also a team stifled by a lack of production from its $140 million shortstop.
Talk about a measuring stick for how different things could have been.
There was a time when the Cubs were talking extension with Báez. They reportedly offered him $180 million. Báez declined, and further negotiations broke down after the COVID-19 pandemic put the 2020 season on hold.
When Báez signed with the Tigers, they were the high bidder, offering the most years and also selling the chance to play for a team on the rise, a club that hoped it could be what the Cubs once were when Báez was first breaking into the major leagues. The Tigers knew the risks that came with Báez’s game, but they also seemingly believed in the talent.
Two years later, the Báez contract is a splash of cold water. His 63 wRC+ is the second-worst among all qualifying MLB hitters. Although Báez has played sterling defense — he is worth 10 Outs Above Average, even with a plethora of throws that skid across the dirt — he has not been the same El Mago. He has his moments, sure. Báez is actually striking out less than ever in his career. But his chase rate is still second-worst in the major leagues.
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“This has been a trying year for Javy on and off the field, with obviously his family member and his production,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “When we see glimpses of it, we want to challenge ourselves to find a way to get that more consistent. He’s dominated the league before. He’s got to make a few adjustments to be productive.”
Báez in his Cubs days. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty Images)Earlier in the season, there was the high-profile benching against the Blue Jays. Báez responded by going on a 22-for-63 tear in the first 17 games afterward. But the peaks of Báez’s play have been fewer and farther in between than ever before. The player who has twice hit 30 homers in a season has gone deep only 25 times in more than 1,000 plate appearances with the Tigers.
Báez plays for a third–place team in baseball’s worst division. Now that he has crossed the age-30 plateau, the Tigers face a significant challenge in trying to restore his performance even as his physical skills face the threat of diminishing.
“The stronger he can finish, the better everybody’s mental space will be going into the offseason and building next year’s team,” Hinch said. “He’s an important figure. We need him to play a good shortstop. We need him to make a few adjustments with the bat and be part of a team we feel like can get better and better.”
Monday night, despite the two strikeouts, Báez also delivered a two-RBI double in the eighth inning that brought the Tigers within a run. On certain nights, the magic is still alive, even if less palpable.
“To me, the threat of Javy for the other side is still there,” Hinch said. “It doesn’t matter where he hits or what type of streak he is on. There’s a real threat. The bigger the moments, he still seems to be the guy that thrives.”
The Báez situation in Detroit is not untenable; it’s seen more as a hard reality. The Tigers have four more years, and they have to make this work as best they can.
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Tuesday, the Tigers scratched Báez from the lineup, stating he was under the weather. And for another night, Báez would watch from afar as the Cubs continue their hunt for a return to the playoffs.
“He loves baseball and he loves being in the spotlight and doing well,” Ross said. “He wants the big moment. I know all those things about him. So to see him struggle does shock me, yeah.”
(Top photo: Brandon Sloter / Image Of Sport / Getty Images)
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