Chicago Cubs: Javier Baez is playing his way toward a monster deal

Remember not so long ago when Javier Baez gave New York Mets fans the thumbs-down in a gesture meant to drum up more positive support of the team and they were ready to run him out of town for it? It’s safe to say that’s no more than a distant memory at this point.

The former Chicago Cubs All-Star shortstop has been otherworldly of late – no matter how you look at it:

• Last 28 days: .353/.427/.682
• Last 14 days: .400/.484/.745
• Last 7 days: .480/.581/.920

New York is still in the hunt for the second NL Wild Card spot but, at this point, they’re a long shot to pull a rabbit out of their hats and leapfrog the four teams ahead of them in that race. But missing out on the postseason doesn’t mean the Mets will move on from Baez, their top deadline acquisition back at the end of July.

We scoffed when, earlier this year, we heard that Baez’ camp was looking for a deal in the $200 million range. That aligned with what discussions between the Cubs and El Mago were reportedly near prior to the 2020 season being first, postponed, then shortened, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But after Baez put up the worst season of his career last year and showcased maddening inconsistencies and brutal plate discipline early in 2021, the thought of him getting anywhere near that amount looked near-impossible. Now, though, with the Puerto Rican native turning heads on a nightly basis? Not so much.