The Chicago Cubs could be preparing for an offseason of big changes, which is something Javier Baez is hoping to avoid.
Baez is entering his final year of arbitration-eligibility before he will be a free agent in 2022. He talked after his Cubs got eliminated by the Miami Marlins on Friday and said he hopes to remain with Chicago for his entire career.
“I hope I never leave this city in my whole career, but anything can happen. Hopefully I stay here my whole career. I love the fans, the dedication that they got for this team, and the other teams in the other sports for Chicago,” Baez said.
Like Baez, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber are entering their final year of arbitration before becoming eligible for free agency in 2022. The Cubs have a $16.5 million team option for Anthony Rizzo. The team already has long-term funds committed to Jason Heyward and Yu Darvish, and they have Craig Kimbrel under contract through 2022.
The Cubs will likely consider dealing a few players before free agency to see what they can get in return. Keep in mind that the Cubs have 2018 first-round pick Nico Hoerner at shortstop in case they decide to replace Baez.
Baez only batted .203/.238/.360 during the shortened season. The 27-year-old made the NL All-Star team in 2018 and 2019 and was second in NL MVP voting in 2018. He expressed issues with how the team was run in 2019 and may not be too much happier about the outcome this season.
