Report: Javy Báez Declined Cubs’ Offer ‘Somewhere in Range of $180 Million’

I’ve been steadfast in refuting the report that Kris Bryant turned down an extension offer of “well north of $200 million,” so I want to tread carefully when it comes to the latest report about Javier Baez‘s negotiations. Or rather, his past negotiations. We do know via multiple outlets, one of which was Javy himself, that the shortstop was engaged in extension talks last spring prior to the shutdown. We also know that he did himself no favors with an abysmal 2020 performance.

According to Buster Olney, who wedged the info into a larger column for ESPN+, that disappointing campaign “followed a negotiation that concluded with him passing up a Cubs’ offer somewhere in the range of $180 million.” In Javy parlance, that’s a large number. So large, in fact, that it seems pretty difficult to believe in light of the organization’s spendthrift ways when it comes to position-player spending over the last several years.

Even before they slashed payroll and reportedly low-balled Anthony Rizzo, and even when Javy was still viewed as a potential perennial MVP candidate, $180 million would have been a stretch. My attempt at predicting a deal back in January of 2020 came to $136 million over six years ($22.67M AAV) with a max of $160 million over eight years ($20M AAV). Olney didn’t give a length on the deal in the two paragraphs devoted to the topic, but I’m thinking it had to be eight or nine years ($20-22.5M AAV).