Mets third baseman Brett Baty is drawing commerce curiosity across the league, and the entrance workplace is at the very least listening to presents on the previous high prospect, reviews Mike Puma of the New York Publish. Baty isn’t being actively shopped however isn’t off limits both, making him an choice for golf equipment looking for reasonably priced (salary-wise) assist on the scorching nook.
Baty has lengthy appeared like a logical commerce candidate. He made our record of the high offseason commerce candidates heading into the winter, due largely to the emergence of Mark Vientos at third base and the potential for the Mets re-signing Pete Alonso. In a situation the place Alonso indicators elsewhere and Vientos strikes throughout the diamond to first base, there’d nonetheless be a path for Baty to assert the on a regular basis gig on the scorching nook, however he’s stumbled a number of occasions when afforded that chance in latest seasons. Mets followers will need to take a look at Puma’s piece for in-depth quotes from scouts across the league, a few whom really feel Baty is a small adjustment or two away from cementing himself as an enormous league common.
After all, scouting opinions like that solely underscore that different groups would like to get their palms on the still-25-year-old Baty. The previous No. 12 general choose (2019) and longtime high prospect has mustered solely a .215/.282/.325 line in his first 602 MLB plate appearances, though these have been unfold throughout three seasons. Baty is a .273/.368/.531 hitter in 416 Triple-A plate appearances and has proven enhancing strike zone consciousness even within the majors. He walked at a 9.4% clip final 12 months and minimize his strikeout fee from 28% in 2023 right down to 24.6% in 2024. Baty fanned in 21.2% of his Triple-A plate appearances and walked at a 12.4% clip in 2024.
Baty nonetheless has a minor league choice remaining, and he’s beneath membership management for at the very least one other 5 seasons. That lessens any urgency to deal him, however with the Mets wanting so as to add a number of beginning pitchers — even after signing Frankie Montas — there’s a reasonably apparent path to utilizing Baty as a commerce chip as properly.
The Mets’ focus is clearly on Juan Soto for the time being, however the method by which that market performs out may additionally affect Baty’s future in Queens. If the Mets don’t reel in Soto, they might turn into extra aggressive on Alonso, Willy Adames or Alex Bregman, any of which might additional impede Baty’s path to the Citi Discipline. Baty has seen a while at second base and in left discipline, however his pure and certain greatest place is at third base.
The Blue Jays, Astros, Angels, Mariners, Tigers, Royals and Brewers are among the many groups who may search for third base assistance on the commerce market within the weeks to come back. (The Yankees may, too, although it’d be extra stunning to see a commerce of a notable prospect between the 2 New York groups.) The Mariners’ younger beginning pitching is the envy of most main league golf equipment, however president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto now considerably famously referred to as buying and selling one in every of his starters “Plan Z” on the offseason to-do record in late September.
