Levine: Theo Epstein, Joe Maddon Finally Agree On Javier Baez

By Bruce Levine--

MESA, Ariz. (CBS) -- The first internal battle of will between the Cubs front office and manager Joe Maddon has been decided in favor of the club's top baseball executives. President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer admitted there were lively debates centering around second baseman Javier Baez's destination to start the 2015 season, which was decided Monday when the team optioned him down to Triple-A Iowa instead of keeping him on the big league roster for Opening Day.

Ten days ago, Maddon got on his soap box and began extolling the solid defense and baserunning that Baez brings to the table. This positive reinforcement was put in place to soften the fact that Baez was lost at the plate, as he hit .173 with a .449 OPS, 20 strikeouts and just three walks in 52 at-bats this spring. Baez also had just one homer and one RBI.

"We went back and forth, back and forth," Maddon said on what was best for Baez's development. "You try to determine where this should happen. Where can this improved offense come from? Can he do it at the major league level or go back and do it in the minors? Our decision eventually was we have to send him back and let him make his mistakes right there."

Clearly, Maddon made his pitch to keep Baez working with Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and the rest of the big league staff.

"I have to be that here," Maddon said last week when asked if he and his staff were the best people to assist those like Baez in player development. "That is (part of my job), and that is what we need to do best here."

Baez will continue his journey with a trip to Des Moines, where he'll be part of a dream minor league infield that also includes third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Addison Russell, who were assigned to minor league camp Monday as well. (Neither of the latter two are on the Cubs' 40-man roster yet like Baez.)

Before spring training, Epstein said the second base job was Baez's to lose. Baez's failure to show a hitting plan earned him the eventual demotion after he played the final two months of 2014 in the big leagues.

"Their performance mattered," Epstein said in announcing the moves on Baez, Bryant and Russell.

"In a healthy organization, there should be different opinions expressed. You need to bounce ideas off of each other and talk about different aspects of the game. These players were all new to Joe. We could not have had any healthier debate about it. In the end, we all agreed (on Baez's assignment)."

In this instance, nobody knows how heated the debate got. We just know it's about getting the best help in the best place for a talent like Baez, and for now, the Cubs have determined that to be at Triple-A Iowa.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.