CHICAGO — For the last eight years, Javier Báez has dazzled on the diamond.
Báez earned his “El Mago” nickname with soft hands, a powerful arm, a quick glove, highlight-reel plays and an energizing style of play.
Those days have come to an end in Chicago.
Báez became the latest player the Cubs have traded. They dealt the shortstop and pitcher Trevor Williams to the New York Mets a little more than an hour before Friday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.
In return, the Cubs received outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. A first-round selection (19th) in the 2020 draft, Crow-Armstrong, 19, played six games this season with Single-A St. Lucie, hitting .417 (10 for 24) with two doubles and four RBIs before suffering a right shoulder injury in May.
The left-handed hitter out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 prospect heading into the 2020 draft.
Since the Cubs drafted Báez with the ninth pick in the 2011 draft, his raw power has been a staple of his offensive production. While his strikeout totals can be problematic — he leads the National League in the category — Báez still is one of the more entertaining players in baseball. He has been nicked up at times this season, including not starting three games this week because of a sore left heel. But Báez has been one of their most valuable all-around players.
In 91 games this season, Báez is hitting .248 with a .292 on-base percentage, .775 OPS, 108 OPS+ and a team-leading 22 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Williams, 29, departs after signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Cubs in February. After missing six weeks following an appendectomy, Williams made three appearances, including two starts, posting a 4.20 ERA since returning in early July. His last start Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks was one of his best of the season. Williams tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings and struck out six without walking a batter.
Williams’ departure opens a rotation spot for left-hander Justin Steele, who has been building at Triple-A to transition from the bullpen into a starting role.
