Chicago Cubs hope top prospect Javier Baez shows up in Spring Training – MLB News
The Chicago Cubs' general manager Jed Hoyer said on Thursday, November 1, that top prospect Javier Baez will be ready to go in Spring Training despite the non-displaced fracture of the tip of his right thumb.
Cubs are currently reconnoitring to find out a host of players ready to be in action for the upcoming season with youngsters dominating the side. Javier Baez is one of the top prospects that the Cubs may consider adding in the roster.
Playing in the Arizona Fall League, it was last Friday that he had injured his thumb while giving a celebratory high-five. However, despite the injury, the team keeps its fingers crossed for the return of the player in Spring Training.
"That's the real shame of it -- [Baez] played plenty of games this year," Hoyer said. "To be a young player in the fall league and having to make adjustments was really good for him. The injury won't hinder anything going forward."
Be that as it may, general manager Jed Hoyer saw the incident as unfortunate."It is unfortunate," Hoyer said. "[Baez] had some really good moments in the fall league and also had some really good learning moments."
However, sudden unforeseen events are not to deter the Cubs to building a team that is only competition-oriented but also aggressive enough in the coming season. Since 2012 was not a particularly good season for the Cubs, as they lost over 100 games, the upcoming year is what they want to be a different one.
Other than that, the Cubs are also seeing the progress that third baseman Ian Stewart has lately made. The player had undergone left wrist surgery in June. As he is arbitration free, the club is weighing its options at the moment.
"Honestly, it's a position we're looking at very hard," Hoyer said. "Stewart is one possibility and that will be determined by health. We're looking at a lot of different avenues -- trade, free agency, etcetera.”
With that, in the coming days, the Cubs will make the decisions that will reflect the club’s long-term strategy to build a strong team.
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