When the Cubs eventually win something again, it's going to be largely on the strength of their young, homegrown players.
It's just hard to say exactly when that will happen. Leaving aside Kris Bryant's momentary return to the minors -- an eminently defensible decision that should be largely forgotten in two weeks, especially if Mike Olt hits a few bombs -- there's also the small matter of Javier Baez, who was supposed to be the Second Baseman (or maybe Shortstop) of the Future, but is heading back to Iowa after a terrible rookie season and an execrable spring training.
In one sense, the decision to demote Baez seems easy and obvious. Last season he batted .169 in the majors, with 95 strikeouts in 52 games. We all know that strikeouts aren't necessarily debilitating, but if you strike out 300 times in a full season, you're simply not going to hit enough to help. That's just science.
This spring, Baez actually struck out slightly less often ... but also walked less often, and of course the competition was spotty.
The good news? Baez is just barely 22 and his projections -- which of course are based largely on his fine minor-league performance -- remain encouraging. But there's little reason to keep Baez in the majors now, if he a) still seems to have things to learn in the minors, and b) isn't actually good right now.
As you know, players typically peak in their middle and late 20s. It's Kris Bryant's service time that's getting all the attention, but it should be a consideration with all the Cubs' talented youngsters. And if Baez winds up spending a few months in Des Moines, working on pitch recognition, it might not be the worst thing in the world.
