Logical NY Mets trade destination for Brett Baty can offer exactly what we’d like for him

Brett Baty trade speculation is going to continue even if he remains with the team after the MLB Winter Meetings, through the end of the year, and into spring training. The young New York Mets third baseman has been given a chance to grab the starting gig at the hot corner and come up short in two consecutive years. A trade, for more than clearing out number 22 for Juan Soto, seems like the only reasonable conclusion. Then again, we felt the same way with Dominic Smith and he ended up non-tendered instead.

There are actually a lot of places where Baty could end up. A logical destination could be the Kansas City Royals. This is a team that ended up turning to Paul DeJong for third base help at the end of last season. With speedster Maikel Garcia on the roster as one of their best options for 2025, there’s room for the Royals to acquire Baty and have some competition.

Best of all, the Royals have exactly what the Mets should realistically target in exchange for Brett Baty

What the Mets could get for Baty in a trade at this point feels incredibly light. Looking at it realistically, adding some arms would be the best situation for the Mets. Conveniently, the Royals have three lefties on their roster who could be a match in some way.

Angel Zerpa is the youngest with his age 25 season approaching. A remaining minor league option, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA last season in 53.2 innings of work. A groundball pitcher who induced worm eaters at a rate of 58%, the Mets would be getting a southpaw for the bullpen they’d have under team control through 2028.

Daniel Lynch IV has a remaining option as well. A little older but still unfamiliar with VCRs as a freshly turned 28-year-old, he put together his first truly noteworthy season in four tries. A 3.32 ERA in 43.1 innings in a year which saw more of a transition into a relief role seemed to pay off. Lynch had previously started for the Royals without the same positive results, now owning a career 4.91 ERA after a solid season. He’s a little less intriguing but a WHIP below 1.00 last season is hard to ignore.

Finally, there’s Sam Long. The geezer of the group at 29 and with no minor league options left, the downsides to him are obvious. His 3.16 ERA performance last year for the Royals could very well be part of the same contagion that gave Zerpa and Lynch positive results. Straight up for Baty doesn’t make enough sense because Long is already in journeyman reliever status.

The Royals do have some other intriguing pitchers. Starter Alec Marsh hasn’t performed particularly well in two seasons. A second-round pick from back in 2019, he’s kind of in the same spot as Baty—a promising player who looks like he’s getting passed over by others. The value of pitchers, starters in particular, would probably cause the Royals to want more than just Baty even for a guy who has a 4.96 ERA in just over 200 innings at the big league level.

Baty for an arm of some kind does seem like the best pathway for the Mets to get the most in a trade involving him. The organization is loaded with position players. A controllable and optional pitcher feels realistic enough. The Royals have enough to spark a conversation.