Ex-Mets GM explains decision to trade rising star Pete Crow-Armstrong

In an appearance on SNY's Baseball Night in New York, former Mets GM Zack Scott discussed the 2021 trade.

May 13, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) hits a solo home run against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It's been nearly four years since the New York Mets traded Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs for infielder Javier Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams.

At the time, New York was looking to make a playoff push and felt the return was big enough to part with their 19-year-old top prospect. But with the emergence of Crow-Armstrong as one of the best young players in baseball, the deal has become highly scrutinized.

In an appearance on SNY's Baseball Night in New York, Zack Scott, the GM who made the trade, discussed his thought process.

On Baseball Night in New York, @ZackScottSports explains his thought process in trading Pete Crow-Armstrong for Javier Baez in 2021:

➡️ Tri-State @Cadillac pic.twitter.com/RxT4gr2s53

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2025

"I think people forget we were in first place at the time," Scott explained. "We wanted to add some impact to the lineup."

The Mets were 55-48 on July 30th, 2021, with a comfortable four-game lead in the NL East. They held onto first place for 103 days that season, but finished the season in third place with a 77-85 record and missed the playoffs.

Read More: Mets fumbled ex-prospect turned All-Star candidate in 'lopsided' trade, per expert

The "impact" that Scott spoke about was the addition of Báez, an electric infielder with the Cubs who joined his childhood friend Francisco Lindor in the Mets' middle infield. While Báez was productive in Flushing, hitting .299/.371/.515 and contributing 2.1 fWAR, this is overshadowed by the fact that he only played 47 games with the team before signing with the Detroit Tigers during the offseason.

Williams, on the other hand, became a solid arm for the Mets, making 10 appearances in 2021, posting a 3.06 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched. He followed this up with another impactful season in 2022 before joining the Washington Nationals the next year.

Read More: Mets discussed Mark Vientos with Cubs before 2021 Pete Crow-Armstrong trade

In further justification for the trade, Scott spoke about his prior position with the Boston Red Sox, who "weren't that high on Pete Crow-Armstrong in the draft." Boston opted for second baseman Nick Yourke with the 17th pick in 2020, while Crow-Armstrong went to the Mets at 19.

Scott admits that he had a "bias there," but was honest about his assessment of Crow-Armstrong's hitting ability. "The big thing was the bat," Scott said. "Loved the defense, the makeup, the speed, had no doubt that that would be there. But did not see this level of power."

Unfortunately for the Mets, Crow-Armstrong's power has been on full display in 2025; the 23-year-old ranks first among center fielders in home runs (11), RBI (30), and slugging percentage (.545). His 13 stolen bases rank fifth in all of baseball, and his fielding run value (FRV) of +10 is the best among all position players.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s ranks among all MLB centerfielders:

11 HR (1st)
32 RBI (1st)
.545 SLG (1st)
.365 wOBA (1st)
136 wRC+ (1st)
2.6 WAR (1st)
10 FRV (1st)
9 OAA (1st)
pic.twitter.com/DGSyw2Z1og

— The Wrigley Wire (@TheWrigleyWire) May 14, 2025

While it's easy to criticize the trade now, it's undeniably difficult to predict the future success of a prospect as young as Crow-Armstrong was. There was no telling what he could become, and whether he could have done it if he had stayed in Queens. Still, it's natural to wonder what could have been if the first-place Mets had an elite player like Crow-Armstrong manning center field.