First, they were traded for each other.

Now, they’ll be on opposite sides for the MLB All-Star Game. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Javier Báez were traded for one another nearly four years ago in a deal between the Cubs and the Mets, and on Wednesday, they were both named All-Star Game starters as members of the Cubs and Tigers, respectively. 

The July 30, 2021, trade sent the then-prospect Crow-Armstrong to Chicago as the Mets hoped to benefit from bringing in one of Francisco Lindor’s childhood friends and a talented infielder in Baez, along with pitcher Trevor Williams.

Both players have had impressive 2025 seasons, as Báez has gone through a renaissance of sorts after struggling in his first three seasons in Detroit — where he signed after a strong 47-game stint with the Mets in 2021 — and has turned back into the All-Star he once was. 

His 2025 includes a .783 OPS and 2.2 WAR, which has put him on course for his best season in four years. 

Báez, who made the All-Star Game this year as an outfielder, joins Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew and Albert Pujols as the only players to start a Midsummer Classic at three or more positions.

Crow-Armstrong has become one of the game’s best outfielders this season, serving as the only player in the majors with 20-plus home runs and stolen bases this season.

He leads National League outfielders in defensive runs saved with 12. 

Going into Wednesday night, both the Cubs and Tigers are atop their respective divisions.

Addressing the trade in May during an appearance on “Baseball Night in New York,” former Mets general manager Zack Scott said that at the time, he was looking to “add some impact to the lineup.” 

Scott did admit a “bias” regarding Crow-Armstrong because of his previous time in the Red Sox front office, which hadn’t been “that high” on him during the MLB draft. 

“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.”