Wearing number 23 and batting cleanup for Saturday night's game against the Reds, Javier Baez is now officially a New York Met.
"A lot of emotions," Baez said in his first press conference as a Met on Saturday. "Just the way [Anthony] Rizzo went out and the way that I grew up in [the Cubs] organization, it was a really big thing for me and our family. At the same time, we understand the business side. We had a good conversation and good communication with the front office. It was a surprise thing for my family and for me, but at the same time we're obviously ready to move on. I'm obviously really excited to be here right now."
After winning a World Series with the Cubs and the young core he came up with, Baez now can start a new chapter with the Mets, where a familiar face awaits in Francisco Lindor, who Baez has played either with or against since youth baseball in Puerto Rico.
Baez said in an interview earlier this week that he would love to play with Lindor and move to second base to recreate Puerto Rico's middle infield from the 2017 World Baseball Classic, and now, as soon as Lindor returns from his strained oblique, that will become a reality.
"Seeing that I was getting closer to free agency, I had a really good communication and friendship with Lindor and his family," Baez said. "I kind of didn't want to answer that question until free agency, but it is what it is. Things happen for a reason and I can't wait for him to come back."
Baez said he has stayed in contact with Lindor since before the trade deadline approached, and the two close friends called each other as soon as the news broke that they were about to become teammates.
"I've always been in contact with him, to be honest," Baez said. "As soon as it was official he called me and we talked. He was really excited. I talked to a couple other guys here and they mentioned Lindor was really excited, and I was really excited too. I'm here, I'm ready to see him."
Baez is a free agent after the season, while Lindor is locked up in New York for the next decade. But Baez will keep his focus on the stretch run ahead, as he has now been thrust into a pennant race and brings World Series experience to a team looking to taste some October magic for the first time since 2015, when they knocked out Baez's Cubs in the NLCS.
"We'll see. We'll see what happens," Baez said. "We'll see how everything goes. I'm obviously trying to get to know the guys and trying to be as close as I can and learn from the guys…we'll see what happens these two months. I know we're in first place, and hopefully we go deep into the playoffs."
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