Back from WBC, Baez not worried about versatile role with Cubs

By Patrick Finley

Javy Baez returned to the Cubs’ lineup Saturday. (Getty Images)

MESA, Ariz. — When Javy Baez returned from his every-day second-base role to his day job Saturday, he swore the Cubs’ super-utility gig wouldn’t be any less fulfilling.

Baez played second base exclusively for Puerto Rico’s second-place World Baseball Classic team, but he won’t have that luxury with the Cubs.

“I know I’m going to play a lot, so I’m relaxing,” said Baez, who doubled, flew out to the warning track and struck out Saturday in his first spring training game since March 5. “[The WBC was] really good for me to take some real [at bats] and to be in motion of a game.”

Baez will spend the rest of spring training getting reacquainted with different positions, though manager Joe Maddon whittled those options down, for now, to shortstop and second base.

He has work to do. Baez’s fielding error at shortstop led to a Rockies run in the Cubs’ 7-4 split-squad loss. He dropped another throw that negated a likely double play.

Baez hit .345 with one homer and five RBI in the WBC and made two of the tournament’s most impressive plays. In the semifinal last week, Baez slid head-first and used a swim move to avoid a tag.

While covering second base in Round 2, against the Dominican Republic, he pointed and celebrated a caught-stealing — while administering a no-look tag.

Baez didn’t know he’d done anything spectacular.

“I had so many [phone] messages and so many videos about it,” he said.

Baez, who didn’t attend the celebratory parade in Puerto Rico this week, defended the team’s joyous style. The Cubs have never asked Baez to curb his flair, though Maddon has stressed with him the ability to make routine plays.

“This is a game,” Baez said. “It’s not as serious as a lot of people take it. Everybody’s got their style.”

That emotion made this year’s WBC the most popular ever, though Maddon posited that world events contributed to a “perfect storm” of nationalism, “with world politics, national politics and the way everybody reacted to everything right now.”

Baez loved the WBC, dubbing teammate Yadier Molina of the rival Cardinals “one of the great catchers ever.” He’s proud of the impact the team had on the island, too. So many fans bleached their hair in support of the team, which had done the same, that Puerto Rico stores ran out of dye.

Soon, Baez’s yellow faux-hawk will be a memory, too.

“I’m going to cut it soon or dye it back black,” he said.