Follow our new Twitter account for real-time updates and in-depth analysis of all things Chicago Cubs.
It seems that from 2015-17, Javier Báez was involved in almost every big trade rumor with the Cubs. He had so much star potential, but the results just weren’t quite measuring up yet and that was coming off a brutal start to his MLB career in 2014 and an injury that slowed him down in 2015. Yet, he did have his breakout party during the 2016 playoffs, winning co-MVP in the NLCS.
However, in 2017 the Cubs were sluggish after their World Series win and found themselves 5.5 games back of the Brewers for first place in the division at the All-Star break. The starting rotation needed a boost and I do remember Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer being linked to the Cubs in trade rumors. But at the time the hot name was Kyle Schwarber.
Obviously nothing came from those rumors, as the Cubs eventually made a blockbuster deal with the White Sox, acquiring Jose Quintana. But it turns out that the Cubs reportedly offered Báez to the Tigers for Fulmer.
Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press wrote about the failures of the Tigers front office during the past few trade deadlines and that includes not only passing on Báez, but also saying no to the Astros for Alex Bregman.
Follow our new Twitter account for real-time updates and in-depth analysis of all things Chicago Cubs.
Via the Detroit Free Press.
Two seasons ago, they were aggressively approached about right-hander Michael Fulmer, who was coming off an AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2016 and was the Tigers’ All-Star representative in 2017. In what looms as the biggest mistake of their rebuilding process, the team rebuffed an offer for Fulmer involving two young players who are now among the best in baseball: According to multiple persons with knowledge of the talks, the Cubs offered shortstop Javier Baez as part of a three-player package and the Astros offered third baseman Alex Bregman for Fulmer and lefty reliever Justin Wilson.
Since 2017, Fulmer pitched poorly in 2018, suffering an oblique injury in July and then having surgery on a torn meniscus in September. Then, this past March the Tigers announced that Fulmer would undergo Tommy John surgery.
Yikes.
But just think how big things could have been for the entire state of MLB if the Tigers accepted either of these deals. Let’s say the Tigers say yes to the Astros, that means Justin Verlander never goes to Houston. Do the Cubs then go after Verlander? The Astros never win the 2017 World Series? The Cubs make a deeper run in the postseason? Verlander’s contract means the Cubs don’t sign Yu Darvish? The Cubs still have Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease?
Just so many different things that could have been different.
Sometimes the best deals are the ones that are never made. Obviously looking back now it’s pretty easy to say that it would have been a dumb trade for the Cubs, but at the time they probably would have received as much praise as criticism.
Anyway, thanks Tigers for saving Cubs fans from a Javy-less Cubs team.
h/t: Cubs Insider
