Photo by Chris Simon
Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Red Sox, as well as many other teams, are showing interest in shortstop Javier Baez.
Matt Musico of MMO reported on November 10 that the Mets had met with Baez’s representatives.
There were reports early in the off-season that Baez could be one of the bigger dominoes to fall very quickly this winter.
Baez completely revamped his approach at the plate following his mid-season trade to the Mets. With the Cubs, Baez hit .248 with 22 home runs, 65 RBI, and an eye-popping 131 strikeouts. After joining the Mets, he hit .299 with nine home runs and 22 RBI, and only struck-out 53 times. The number that stands out most are his walks. Before coming to Queens, Baez only walked 15 times. With the Mets, he walked 13 times in almost half the at-bats. His on-base percentage with Chicago was .292, and with the Mets it jumped to an impressive .371.
This change in approach makes Baez a highly sought-after free agent this winter. The Mets, Red Sox, and many others are expected to be big bidders.
