Joe Maddon Denies Report Indicating Javier Baez Already Told He’d Made the Team

This is one of those things that has the potential to get a little sticky thanks to the inherent game of telephone, but Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn’t buying yesterday’s report that Javier Baez has already been told he’s made the team as the second baseman.

The report was surprising, not so much for its content – Baez probably has a better than 50/50 shot – but for its timing, what with 10 days left in Spring Training and a very crowded, complicated roster picture.

Here’s what Maddon had to say, according to some of the writers at tonight’s game (which seems as good of a time as any to remind you that you should be following them):

#Cubs Maddon denies report that Baez made 25-man roster. "That has not been decided yet"

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) March 25, 2015

Maddon says despite a published report no one has told Javy Baez he has made the team yet

— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) March 25, 2015

Baez made team already? Maddon: “It was not told by me. It wasn’t told by Theo. It wasn’t told by Jed. I have no idea where that came from.”

— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) March 25, 2015

#Cubs Maddon on Baez on roster: "He was not told by me, he wasn't told by Theo, wasn't told by Jed. I have no idea where that came from"

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) March 25, 2015

So, misunderstanding? Miscommunication? Mistake? Backtracking?

We’re never going to know, so it’s not really worth speculating at this point. Instead, we can sum up: two reports yesterday suggested a very strong likelihood that Javier Baez would make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. Today, Joe Maddon said that nothing has yet been decided, which is equally consistent with Baez being likely to make the team and with Baez not actually making the team. Maddon, after all, was effusive in his praise of Baez yesterday.

Baez might make the team, and, if he does, it’ll be because of a combination of factors (non-offensive value he adds, huge offensive upside, development at big league level). Nothing, officially, has yet been decided.