Reese Kaplan -- What if .500 is All the Mets Can Achieve?

Let’s take a moment to consider how the Mets might construct their team if they tread water between now and the end of July without gaining traction in the wild card race.  Granted they are at this juncture within sniffing distance a single game back, but there are pretty much every team in the National League in contention with just 3-4 non-contenders.  The odds are slim but they are indeed possible (particularly when the team regains Kodai Senga as a member of the starting rotation).

However, if the club doesn’t fall flat but instead meanders around .500, then you have a difficult decision to make.  Do you take the razor thin chance you can catapult over everyone else with a few hot streaks by various players performing at their best, or do you run the risk of alienating the majority of the fan base anxious for immediate October baseball by trading away pieces that could be critical to achieving an improbable rally to a postseason berth. 

Today we will examine briefly what happens if indeed the owner and POBO agree that if you’re not going to win it all in 2024 then you need to do what’s best for 2025 and beyond, what’s best for the payroll and open up some opportunities for younger players to get into the lineup regularly for the final 60 games of the season. 

Right now Brett Baty is performing in AAA much like Mark Vientos had when he finally forced his way into the New York lineup.  People still are not sure what type of hitter Baty will become but the only way to find out is, lumps and all, play the man every day and let him make the adjustment to major league pitching which thus far he’s been unable to do. 

To be fair, all players go through growing pains when advancing a level up to the majors.  Even Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt was a sub-Mendoza player as a rookie.  Did the Phillies give up on the man?  No one is expecting Baty to achieve a Cooperstown career, but can he be a solid major leaguer?  We won’t know unless the management team and Carlos Mendoza are committed to finding out for sure.

Closer to home, take Mark Vientos.  For his return to Queens he was absolutely on fire.  No one expected him to hit .330 nor maintain an OPS over 1.000.  He’s been slumping badly the last several days but that downturn followed a pair of 3-hit games.  He’s a work in progress as well and deserves the opportunity to learn and adjust.

A full 2025 approach would make room for both Baty and Vientos to play every day at 3B and either 1B or DH respectively.  For that lineup possibility to happen it means making either or both of J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso available in trade.  The former is a tough pill to swallow but he’s on a one year deal and is entering the tail end of his career while still being a productive hitter.  At his modest salary he’s an easy candidate to exchange for future help. 

The Pete Alonso situation is, of course, quite different.  He’s a free agent to be, he’s turned down a contract extension offer and now has engaged Scott Boras as his agent as he attempts to secure his playing and financial future through the open bidding process known as free agency.  If he is dead set against any preemptive offer to remain a Met, swallow hard and make a trade to enhance the future roster instead of losing him for nothing.

I won’t delve into the outfield situations, the starting pitchers on expiring contracts and the relievers in a similar situation.  Right now the question is whether or not Baty and Vientos show enough to pencil them into the 2025 future or if other players need to be auditioned for their positions.