A RETURN TO Wrigley Field last August was supposed to be a heartwarming homecoming for Javier Baez. Chicago was where he had the best days of his career: winning a World Series and a Silver Slugger Award and making two All-Star teams.
Always a crowd favorite, Baez was known as "El Mago" -- "The Magician" -- for his flair for the dramatic. And even after being traded away in 2021 and then signing a six-year, $140 million deal with the Detroit Tigers that offseason, his return came with plenty of fanfare. There was only one problem: His game at the time wasn't capable of living up to the hype.