Chicago Cubs: A Javier Baez trade within the division could change everything

Chicago Cubs: Is Javier Baez a trade chip or a long-term building block?

Since then, not much has changed. As fans, who are we to decide what a player is worth? We all have our opinions, we all have our cares and concerns. We all love Javy. Personally I root for him every time he’s at the plate. Now, If you’re Jed Hoyer and Tom Ricketts, are you ready to shell out that kind of cash at a critical juncture when for one, the trade deadline is now only 10 days away and two, Baez just isn’t putting up $200 million numbers right now?

Hoyer recently has been quoted as saying:

"“People talk about rebuilds when you’re doing what we did in 2012. We’re going to have roster turnover. We need to do that. It was inevitable — you control guys six to seven years and it doesn’t last forever, as far as that initial club control, so we’ll have turnover. But this certainly is not a rebuild by any kind of definition we’d be using from our past.”"

Baez’ timing for revealing a number at this point in the season personally tells me one thing. He doesn’t want to be traded right now. He does want to be a Cub and he believes in what he thinks he is worth. There is nothing wrong with that. This whole situation screams to me “Don’t trade me, let me show you what I got first.”

Hoyer now finds himself stuck in the middle. Most likely questioning himself, “Do I trade Javy if I can get good value, or will he come around and I’ll look like a fool for trading him away?” These are the tough decisions the head of a front office faces every year. When you have a face of an organization such as Baez, It’s that much more important to get it right. The Wrigleyville faithful doesn’t easily forgive poor mistakes made by management – right Nick Castellanos?