NEWSLETTER
Among the reasons it seems very unlikely that the Cubs will trade Anthony Rizzo and/or Javy Báez this month, these are two guys whom they have tried to extend, and whom they want to retain beyond this season even if it means trying to make it happen in free agency. That is not to say the Cubs don’t want to maintain other relationships beyond this year, too, but it’s been very clear for a while that those were the two guys that actually seemed possible.
To that end, it was always expected (by me, at least) that the front office would take one more run at extending these guys before the Trade Deadline juuuuuuust in case a trade offer came along that the Cubs actually wanted to consider. Better to have all your information:
while Kris Bryant, Craig Kimbrel and other Cubs are on the block, there are signs the Cubs will try to lock up Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo before talking trades for them @MLBNetwork
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 16, 2021
Do I think extensions are likely for either guy? I do not, at least not right now. But you have to ask at this moment.
Is the 5/$70 million offer to Rizzo still on the table? If so, should he now take it, given the back issues and the performance downturn? Would Báez still see the Xander Bogaerts 6/$120 million deal as undervaluing him, or is that actually now too steep? I tend to think it’s going to be pretty tough to align on value at this moment, especially with the CBA expiring after the season and the Cubs having already charted a course that would allow them to consider any and all trades.
Still, you never know. So have the conversations. Gather the information. And then proceed with the rest of the month accordingly (which is not to say trade these two if they don’t extend – you still would have to get significant value, in my view, for it to be worth the trade, all things considered). Maybe one of the two really feels that now is the time to lock in a deal. Maybe you find out some great information that is useful in the offseason for free agent negotiations. Maybe you find out some information that, for whatever reason, does push you further in the direction of a trade.
Heck, you might as well talk to Kris Bryant, too, because you never know! (You do know. An extension isn’t happening. I’m sorry.)
