Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets officially announced the acquisition of Javier Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs ahead of Friday’s trading deadline.

They sent Pete Crow-Armstrong, the team’s fifth-ranked prospect, back to the Cubs in exchange for the two players. It’s been reported that the Cubs will cover the majority of Báez’s and Williams’ salaries the remainder of this season, which are the “cash considerations” the Cubs included in the deal.

Báez, an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, is known as a player who swings at everything. He has the fourth-highest strikeout percentage (36.3 percent) among qualified hitters this year and is in just the fourth percentile in walk rate (4.2 percent).

But the Mets are a team that has struggled against lefty pitchers, especially starters, and Báez is a far better performer against that exact group. This season, he’s slashing .301/.363/.603/.965 against lefties.

Overall in 2021, Báez is hitting .248 with a .775 OPS, 22 home runs, 65 RBI and a 2.0 fWAR. He has just 15 walks all year, though, compared to 131 strikeouts. He’ll be a free agent after this season.

Baez, who is lifelong friends with Francisco Lindor, will slot into shortstop while Lindor is on the injured list with a strained oblique. He’ll  then slide to second base when Lindor is back, giving the Mets what will likely be the best defensive middle infield in the final month or so of the season. (In this scenario, Jeff McNeil will likely get the bulk of the reps at third.)

Luis Rojas said he was a “huge fan” from afar before the team acquired him, and general manager Zack Scott noted Báez’s positional versatility as a reason they acquired him.

Baez will not be with the team until Saturday, when he will likely start at short in an evening game against the Reds. Baez hit a game-winning single off the Reds’ Amir Garrett on Monday, producing one of the more eccentric walk off celebrations you’ll see. A hell of a swan song for his Cubs career.

Williams, on the other hand, is under team control through 2022. He has a 5.06 ERA (4.33 xERA, 4.52 FIP) through 13 appearances, 12 of them starts, this season. After acquiring him, the Mets optioned Williams to Triple-A Syracuse.

Williams spent four-plus seasons with the Pirates before being designated for assignment after the 2020 season. The Cubs signed him in the offseason, and the Mets will now have a new toy to work with for the next year and two months.