Time moves on and there are still free agents out there and there are still teams signing players. The biggest news of course concerns the players that are not yet signed. At the top of that list is Pete Alonso, who has been the topic of thousands of articles this off-season. And it appears that they will keep coming, because neither the Mets nor any other teams seem to be close to signing him. During the recent winter event at Citi Field, Steve Cohen went on record to say how difficult the negotiations have been and did not cast a very positive light on resolution.
Simultaneously, word came out that both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty have been asked (and agreed) to start working in earnest to learn the position at first base. This could be a tactic to create pressure in the negotiations, it could be sound risk mitigation, or it could be the team coming to grips with the fact that Pete Alonso may not be manning the bag this season.
Now we have all speculated that one solution to that last option is to move Mark Vientos to first base, and most of the comments we have seen on this site have recognized that it would be a viable solution, particularly if it resulted in the signing of a talented free agent (Arenado or Bregman) or the advancement of a prospect like Mauricio or Acuna.
The real twist here is the mention of Brett Baty in that communication as part of a dual option for manning first. It wasn’t stated as Vientos at first with people like Baty competing for a chance. It was about both of them learning the skill and proving how well they can apply it this spring. It says that Brett Baty, two strikes into his promotion into major league baseball, is still a very real part of the player evaluation system on this team. We have not heard anything about him being moved elsewhere other than the usual random speculation by writers seeking attention, so I think the Mets are serious about giving Baty another shot.
Baty has the physique of a first baseman – tall with long limbs to stretch for balls on close plays. He has many years of fielding ground balls at the other corner so the hot shots should not be an issue. He has the power that is desired of first basemen if he can fix that hole in his swing and start consistently putting the barrel on the ball. In his minor league career, he has slashed .283/.382/.507. That is an OPS of .889 which is usually good enough to translate to some success in the majors. Why it hasn’t happened yet probably has a lot to do with the mental side of the game more than the physical. It also doesn’t say that he can’t become that solid major league player that was projected during his rise through the development system. It just has not happened yet. The Mets may be willing to take a chance that it will.
What do you think?
15 comments:
My guess-is mental. He is on the clock to fix it
Good morning
I mentioned in Reese's post this morning that I would put an end to any future negotiations with Alonso and go to camp with a Baty/Winker plan for first in 2025
I would target Vlad Jr for 2026
I have a post for Wednesday on my spin regarding the Alonso fiasco
I always liked Baty and his breaking into the lineup has been mental,Vientos overcame it too,I 100% trust he will be a great player,he has shown it throughout his career except for the showcasing,now it's time to get it right and he will.H is perfect for first.Leave Vientos at third.
Rene, as another example, ex-Mets first round prospect Kelenic has improved, but not much. Baty needs to be better than Kelenic.
Rene
Baty mastered the minors. He has always been looking over his shoulder in the majors and never dressed with the confidence that he knew his bname would be on the lineup card. Players need that.
Tom, I think Kelenic will turn out to be a decent major leaguer
Mack, interesting take on targeting Vlad Jr. in 2026.
I guess my take is a little different. If they are thinking Vlad for 2026,
they should go get him now (a la Lindor), pay the prospects and have him this year before he gets super expensive. Have a year in New York to see how it plays out before dishing out multiple hundreds of millions to tie up another position long term. Or sign him early after a trade for a perceived discount before he hits the market (a la Lindor).
If Alonso (a right handed hitting first baseman) can't get $100M, is it possible for Vlad Jr. (a right handed hitting first baseman) to get $400M. And why would they pay Vlad that kind of money when they won't pay Pete. I agree that Vlad is a better overall hitter than Pete, but not 4x. Vlad's physical build scares me at age 26, let alone when he gets into his 30s. Think Prince Fielder. My guess is that Pete will age better than Vlad.
If you had to pick one of the two going forward - Kelenic or Baty?
I agree about ending the Alonsiations, but I'd first give him a deadline:
"Here’s our final offer. It's on the table for 48 hours. Take it by then or go elsewhere".
As for Vlad, I agree we should be gearing up for '26, but if the Baty/Vientos combo works, and/or if Clifford has a breakout year at 'Cuse, we may be able to use the Vlad $$$ to fill other needs.
Poor Pete. What a disastrous decision to go with Scott Boras. If he had not made that choice he would have taken the 7 years $158M extension and would be part of this promising future. Instead, he is without offers and both the Mets leadership and a good portion of the fan base are ready to move on.
Change that to Thursday
Remember -
Right now, Kelenic
There is little interest in Pete elsewhere. The Jays are busy attempting to extend Vlady; the Angels still want to see what Schanuel will do at 1B given that he is an improving 22 year old prospect. Accordingly, the Angels interest in Alonso is most likely, lukewarm. That leaves the Mets. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pete re-ups with the Mets by March. Reading between the lines, it doesn’t seem that the money and years of his contract is the issue; it’s the opt-out. Should Boras come around and agree to a mutual opt-out for both Pete and the Mets after each year of the 3-year contract, Pete (if in agreement) will be back in Flushing for 2025. Pete just needs to bet on himself.
My post for tomorrow is about the mental aspects facing players.
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