Cubs to be patient with Javier Baez

The Cubs top pick in the 2011 draft, Javier Baez, is off to a fantastic start. So far he's hitting .315/.403/.537 with 3 home runs in about 60 plate appearances. Prior to his game yesterday he had a wOBA of .415, which is good for a 161 wRC+. He's still young and this is just 60 plate appearances so the Cubs are going to be patient.

"There's an old adage, it's a lot easier to move somebody up than to move them back," Cubs vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita said. "You're talking about a young man from the state of Florida. It's real cold in Peoria. We wanted to make sure he had his feet on the ground. It's his first season. When you're dealing with your top prospect, you want to be on the conservative side."

Fleita said that the Cubs explained the process to Baez, and that he understood and accepted it well.

"Javier understood why he didn't go to Peoria right away," Fleita said of the 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-handed hitter. "He understands we have a process set up and that we'll follow it to the letter. Being in Arizona, in a controlled atmosphere, allowed him to get a good handle on what's expected every day from the organization, and it gave us a chance to get to know him. He also got a lot of extra work, and that allowed him to be prepared to join the Peoria Chiefs."