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St. Louis Cardinals: Pros and cons of 5 free-agent shortstops
Javier Baez
A key piece for the Chicago Cubs for many seasons, Javier Baez was traded to the New York Mets in July as the Cubs were shedding payroll. Baez is considered a magician, “El Mago”, at shortstop and has a good bat. He’s a little exuberant but this is apparently part of his charm.
Pros
- He and Yadier Molina are friends. The pair were on the Puerto Rico team together in the World Classic. There is a lot to be said for being close to the team’s star catcher. It pretty much guarantees the rest of the team will give him a chance and forget all the shenanigans from when he played for opposing clubs.
- He played in 138 games in 2021 hitting .265/.319/.494 with a 116 wRC+. He hit 18 doubles, two triples, 31 home runs, and 87 RBI. He had 18 stolen bases and walked 28 times.
Cons
- Baez has a declining fielding percentage. In 2016, his fielding percentage was .981 while his percentage in 2021 was .954. He had 20 errors at shortstop with four while playing second base. Not what you’re ideally looking for when you’re expecting an upgrade at shortstop.
- He was a Chicago Cub and a New York Met. Need I say more?