Cubs infielder Javier Baez would be willing to shift positions from shortstop to second base if it meant he’d get to play alongside Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Baez could very well be traded before the deadline this Friday. If he remains in Chicago, he’s set to hit free agency after the season.
“If I go to free agency, I’d like to play with Francisco Lindor,” Baez said Tuesday during an interview with Mega 106.9 FM. “I loved playing with him in the [2017 World Baseball Classic]. That’s the only option I’d take to play second base.”
A Baez-Lindor union as double play partners — along with Jeff McNeil at third base and Pete Alonso at first base — would be a challenging task for opposing teams. Baez is an elite defender, who won the Gold Glove at shortstop in 2020.
It might make sense for the Mets to chase a shortstop ahead of the deadline since Lindor is out on the injured list with a right oblique strain. The Mets signed Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract extension earlier this year, after acquiring him from Cleveland.
Acting general manager Zack Scott said Lindor’s recovery period for the Grade 2 strain is about four-to-six weeks. He was placed on the injured list on July 17.
Rockies infielder Trevor Story is also among shortstops the Mets could pursue, and Scott is open to exploring any avenue that could benefit the team.
“We’re open minded if there are other options that could also have versatility to help us when Francisco does come back,” Scott said before the Mets split a doubleheader Monday against the Braves.
If the Mets don’t nab a shortstop before the deadline, they still have in-house options Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar, whom Scott is confident about.
While Lindor’s time-table remains unclear, he told The Post’s Peter Botte he’s “improving,” but is still considered “week-to-week.”
“I definitely wish I was on the field right now, but I am trying to actually get to know the area, too. I’m a little better, I’m improving, thank God. I trust the trainers and I trust the program that they have for me. I trust the Lord, the good Lord is going to heal me up,” he explained.
“Just follow the protocols and see how everything goes.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Baez will eventually be on the move, or if he’ll stay put in Chicago. He has expressed his desire to remain with the Cubs long term on a number of occasions.
The Mets play the Braves today and tomorrow at home, before hosting the Reds Friday and Saturday.