Cubs’ PCA fleece of Mets makes Guardians Junior Caminero mistake look a little better 

On Nov. 11, the BBWAA will announce the winners of all the major awards in MLB this year. While some of the award races have yet to be decided, the race of the National League MVP isn’t one of them. 

That distinction has all but been locked up by Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who entered play on Saturday with a .278/.372/.520 slashline to go along with 45 home runs and 107 RBI. 

That production, combined with his fantastic defense, has led to him being worth 9.8 bAWr and 10.7 fWAR. He’s far and away been the best player in the National League. 

And that incredible production likely means even more to the Cubs given the fact they acquired him as a prospect in 2021 in exchange for shortstop Javier Báez in one of the bigger deals at that year’s deadline. 

While Crow-Armstrong was viewed as one of the best outfield prospects in baseball at the time of the trade, it seemed like his ceiling was going to be a defense-first outfielder who could eventually be an All-Star later in his career. 

If that kind of trade sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. It should. 

A little less than four months after the Mets traded for Báez, the Guardians traded then-prospect Junior Caminero to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Tobias Myers. 

It’s been one of the worst trades in recent Guardians history thanks to Caminero blossoming into one of the best sluggers in baseball and an MVP candidate in his own right, but the Cubs’ journey with PCA is a good reminder that every team has the occasional stinker of a trade that they want back. 

The Mets' decision to trade Pete Crow-Armstrong looks as bad as the Guardians' decision to deal Junior Caminero

Although Caminero isn’t going to win the American League MVP, he should finish the year in the top-three in voting thanks to a .880 OPS with 41 home runs and 99 RBI. And every one of those homers comes with some additional buyer's remorse since Myers never appeared in a big league game in Cleveland before being designated for assignment. 

But there’s an argument to be made that the  Mets’ trade for Báez was just as bad given they expected immediate contributions from Báez as they made a run toward the postseason, but they finished the year with a 77-85 record.  

Báez played well in his time with the Mets, but he and Francisco Lindor made headlines for all the wrong reasons for their giving a thumbs down reaction to Mets fans. 

Crow-Armstrong ended up making his big league debut in 2023 and earned his first All-Star nod last season, which set up this year’s incredible season. 

Both he and Caminero are going to finish the year in the center of the awards race, which should generate plenty of grimaces across Cleveland and Queens. At least the Guardians will be able to focus on the fact they made it to the postseason this year. Sorry Mets fans. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow