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7/10/24

Reese Kaplan -- Maybe the Mets Need to Trade a Hot Prospect


While most of the Mets roster revamping proposals have the team either adding rentals if they’re serious about competing between now an the end of September to aspire to October baseball, or they go the other way and repeat more or less what was done in 2023 under former GM Billy Eppler when instead they trade
d away star caliber players to fortify a nondescript farm system to build for the future.  

Then there is a third approach that has not been discussed and perhaps it should.  Suppose you were another team looking to fortify its major league roster now and for years to come.  They look at the Mets and a see a guy who in 2023 hit 10 HRs and drove in 31 while batting .298 in just 104 ABs.  

Then you look at the stat sheet and see that in 2024 he’s hitting .294 and clubbed 8 HRs with 22 RBIs in 109 ABs.  Those are numbers that extrapolate out to 35 HRs and over 100 RBIs with a high batting average.  Isn’t this the type of player the Mets seek when they trade away veterans?  

This player of course is Brett Baty, a guy who has had the equivalent of a full season of major league ABs and have almost nothing to show for it.  His batting average in the show is just .215 with 15 HRs and 55 RBIs.  Some have wondered if he just needs a bit more seasoning.  Others think the prospect window is shutting fast as he’s been classified as more of a AAAA player.  

Throw in the hot bat of Mark Vientos since he was finally recalled from Syracuse and many have begun to wonder if Baty’s days a future 3rd baseman are already over.

So here’s the oddball idea.  

Instead of trying to shoehorn both of Baty and Vientos into the same lineup or setting up a lopsided lefty/righty platoon, maybe you make a full time commitment to one of them and peddle away the other.  At this point, defensive shortcomings granted, Vientos has shown way more capability in the majors than has Baty.  

Consequently it is easier to live with him as a part of the 2025 team than it is rolling the dice on as yet unproven Baty.  Remember you also have Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna, Jett Williams and others behind Vientos in the minors, so it’s not like losing Baty would be insurmountable.

So coming back to the question, suppose it is the Mets who need a blue chip bullpen arm, or healthy and productive outfielders or a revamped bench.  What would it take in return from another club for the Mets to sign off on making Brett Baty a part of a trade package?

Is there risk in making this type of deal?  Absolutely!  Baty could turn out to be a Scott Rolen type with strong power and good defense.  At age 24 some regard him as young.  Others feel that failed efforts in the majors already over the past few seasons suggest he is never going to be more than an average major leaguer.  

The truth is probably somewhere in between if Baty continues to grow but Cooperstown is not likely in his future.  Towards that conclusion, I would not be averse to seeing what other clubs think of adding Baty while the Mets are ready to subtract.


14 comments:

  1. This is a tough decision. Baty has had so much promise, yet his trips to New York have ended in batting woes. As you state, he is probably not bound for Cooperstown, but he could become a very good 3B and if that is with another team there will always be remorse.

    One would love to give him another shot, but how do you justify benching Vientos with the production he has provided? It probably is time to shop him around to see what can be obtained. I would just not sell him cheap.

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    Replies
    1. I believe Baty is your primary trade piece but not for a rental

      Offer me an under 30 starter with a sub 4 ERA with 2/3 yrs left under contract and I will gladly put together a trade package that is headed ip by Baty

      Delete
  2. Let's say:

    Baty
    Cortes
    Rosa
    Wenninger

    ReplyDelete
  3. Baty 7 for 37,/7 BB, just 1 RBI in last 9 AAA games. Trade him.

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  4. I am with Mack. Unless you're getting a player with a couple of years of control, it makes no sense trading him.

    In fact, I would hold on to him this year and see what happens with Pete Alonso. If Pete is gone, then Vientos is your 1B and Batty can battle Mauricio for 3B.

    Either way, you can what the Mets will become in the future based on the upcoming prospects. That is a young, athletic and very fast team.

    2025 can feature Vientos 1b, Mauricio/Acuna 2b, Lindor SS, Batty/Mauricio 3B.

    But what about the power you lose if Alonso is gone? that's what the DH spot is for. Find a big bat....DJ Martinez comes to mind or other.

    Think about the pressure a team with that kind of speed will put on the opposition.

    If Batty loses out to Mauricio at 3B, and Acuna is your 2B, you would have Acuna, Mauricio, Lindor, Marte and Nimmo. All capable of stealing bases.

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  5. Viper, if Pete goes, so does his salary. With Verlander unlikely to vest on that option, the Mets should have considerable mobility, so that even if Vientos + Baty/Mauricio is less that Vientos + Alonso in 2025, a lot more $$ to spend on pitching. Every time I start thinking about the future, it irks me that Drew Gilbert did not pull himself from that game and probably cost himself 60% of a vital season of getting to be MLB ready.

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  6. They bought Maton, so they as of right now are NOT SELLERS.

    Despite the Edwin-triggered bullpen woes, which should now improve with Edwin back and Maton here, they are 21-10 in their last 31 games. Senga could be back a week after the ASG.

    Replace “DJ Stewart Koosman” with a real hitter and let’s roll. (Could’ve been you, Gilbert)

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  7. I propose a different view:

    This was supposed to have been a transitional year. But, getting Martinez and knowing this is Alonso’s last year, you say let’s go for it a bit. We all know Alonso isn’t staying, but we aren’t getting a Soto package for him, anyway. So, you go for it.

    Keep Baty and all your prospects. Next year, after Alonso leaves and all the money is off the books, bring up Baty, Mauricio, Acuna, Gilbert and truly make it a transitional year. See what you have, reset the Tax, and then go for it.

    As of now, the lineup of Alvarez, Vientos, Lindor, Nimmo, McNeil, and Marte seems to be your base for next year. Letting the arms start percolating also will give the team a real idea of what they need to do for 2026 and be ready for Roki Sasaki.

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  8. Gus, how do you rank Sasaki against Senga and Yamamoto?

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  9. How many more Japanese stars might there have been over the years if this didn’t happen….

    “The Empire of Japan's military losses in World War II are estimated to exceed 2.5 million men.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not this easy

      The American players that are playing now come from Grandparents of all the Allied and European Axis countries whose children moved to America.

      The combined losses of America, Germany, Italy. France, Russia, and other European nations considered white were far more staggering

      Delete
  10. One point no one focused on here is, once you get away from small strike zone, heavy veteran Syracuse, the batting averages of the other 6 teams range from low to very low. Of course, the absence of Gilbert, Jett, and Reimer have some responsibility there, but collectively, excluding the veteran bats, the minors are not hitting well.

    Too many high K, near-Mendoza and sub-Mendoza hitters.

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  11. Am I the only one that wants JDM to find a new home.

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  12. Ray, if you mean right now, I am a JD keeper, not seller. I get another reliever, get Senga back, and try to win a World Series this year. Despite the bullpen blow ups and DJ Stewart hitting like a DJ playing funk music, 21-10 in last 31 tells me….GO FOR IT!

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