MLB trade regrade: Cubs officially win the Javy Baez deal with latest prized call-up

The Chicago Cubs are preparing for a playoff run, and have done so by calling up their top outfield prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong. Crow-Armstrong is one of the best pure defensive outfielders in the minor leagues, and should receive at-bats right away because of that. This story was initially broken by ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Crow-Armstrong is ranked as the league's No. 12 overall prospect. His ability at the plate has grown immensely over the past few seasons, and he was hitting .271/.350/.479 in Triple-A Iowa prior to his promotion to the big leagues. MLB Pipeline highlights Crow-Armstrong's defensive upside in his bio:

"As exciting as Crow-Armstrong's enhanced offensive upside is, it pales in comparison to his defense. Scouts give top-of-the-scale grades to his center-field skills, as he exhibits tremendous range from gap to gap with his combination of plus speed and precision reads and routes, and he completes the package with solid arm strength. He's aggressive in the outfield and on the bases, stealing 32 bags in 43 tries last season."

PCA has the makings of a five-tool player.

When will Pete Crow-Armstrong make his Cubs debut?

Crow-Armstrong is expected to make his Chicago Cubs debut on Tuesday. The Cubs face off against the Colorado Rockies in Denver for a three-game set before heading to Arizona for a series against the Diamondbacks. Crow-Armstrong will enter the heat of the NL Wild Card race right away. Chicago has a two-game lead on Arizona for the second Wild Card spot, and a 2.5-game advantage on Miami for a spot in the postseason altogether. They are also just three games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

Who won the Javy Baez trade: Cubs or Mets?

Crow-Armstrong was acquired in the trade which sent Javy Baez to the New York Mets back in 2021. Baez played two strong months of baseball with the Mets that season, but ultimately left in free agency and signed with the Detroit Tigers, where he has struggled since. Crow-Armstrong wasn't viewed as a top-tier prospect in the Mets system at the time, but the Cubs knew the potential he had. If Crow-Armstrong has any sustained MLB success, Chicago will emerge as the clear winner of this trade.