Former Chicago Cubs Star Listed as One of 10 Worst Contracts in All Sports
![Jul 25, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) celebrates with shortstop Javier Baez (9) after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Jul 25, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) celebrates with shortstop Javier Baez (9) after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3500,h_1968,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_cubs/01jjpk646m82a6hmb77q.jpg)
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series Championship in over 100 years in 2016 with a core of stars who seemed destined to propel the team into dynasty status.
By the end of the 2021 season, that core would all be gone, and by the end of 2024, only one would still be a superstar at his craft.
While the organization has recently expressed its regret in non-tendering that superstar, Kyle Schwarber, after 2020, they certainly made the right decision to move on from the other three, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez, when they did, despite public outcry against the decision.
In a recent article from Bleacher Report, David Kenyon broke down the 10 worst contracts currently in all sports, with only one baseball player making the cut, Javy Baez.
"Javier Baez rose to prominence as a slick-fielding shortstop with the Chicago Cubs," writes Kenyon, "playing a key role on the World Series-winning team in 2016 and finishing as the National League MVP runner-up in 2018. The problem is Baez has never seen a breaking ball he believed was untouchable. Pretty easy to strike out that way ... Prior to the 2022 season, Baez inked a six-year, $140 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Through the 2024 campaign, though, he's trudged to a .221 average and .262 on-base percentage while striking out 114 times per season compared to just 21 walks."
Baez earned the nickname "El Mago" which translates to "The Magician" during his time in Chicago for the insane defensive plays he was able to make, seemingly on a daily basis.
While he was not a world-beater at the plate, he was an above-average producer during his tenure with the Cubs, batting to a .262/.303/.474 line with 140 home runs, 443 RBI, and a 102 OPS+ across 3,069 plate appearances in 815 games.
The bottom has since fallen out for his offensive production, batting to a .229/.269/.366 line with 41 home runs, and 185 RBI across 1,612 plate appearances in 407 games.
It has gotten so bad the Detroit Tigers have opted to let Baez ride the bench, deciding that his defense is not even good enough to supplement his horrendous showing at the plate.
It was a rapid decline from greatness for Baez, and the Cubs were smart to get out of there while they still had a chance.