Initially, they exchanged teams.
And now, they’ll find themselves as All-Star Game starters.
Almost four years after being traded for one another, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Javier Báez were both named starters for the All-Star Game, representing the Cubs and Tigers, respectively.
Back on July 30, 2021, Crow-Armstrong joined the Cubs while the Mets were anticipating gains from acquiring one of Báez’s talented infielders along with pitcher Trevor Williams, hoping to build on their connection from childhood with Francis Colindore.
Báez experienced a sort of renaissance in 2025 after struggling during his first three seasons in Detroit but, interestingly, that success seemed to fluctuate within the season.
This year, he has managed an OPS of .783 and a WAR of 2.2.
Having made the All-Star Game as an outfielder, Báez is now part of a rare group of players, joining legends like Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew, and Albert Pujols as the only ones to start in multiple positions for a midsummer classic.
On the other hand, Crow-Armstrong has become one of the game’s standout outfielders this season, being the only player in MLB with over 20 home runs and stolen bases.
He leads National League outfielders with a defensive run saved metric of 12.
As of Wednesday night, both the Cubs and Tigers are performing well within their divisions.
Revisiting the deals from May, former Mets general manager Zach Scott reflected on “New York Baseball Night,” sharing he believed they would “impact the lineup.”
He also acknowledged a bias toward Crow-Armstrong based on past experiences with the Red Sox front office, admitting that he didn’t initially see the level of power Crow-Armstrong would bring. “The big thing was bats,” Scott noted. “I loved defense, make-up, and speed, and there was no doubt that it was there, but I didn’t foresee this kind of power.”
