Free agent flier might've been the biggest NY Mets winner with Juan Soto moving to LF

Juan Soto going from right field to left field is bigger than the average switch from one corner outfield spot to the other. Because of the timing, the New York Mets are a bit more limited as to what they can do. The plan of having Brett Baty as the backup plan in left field over Carson Benge now changes to Baty in right field which doesn’t feel quite as sustainable.

Left field is the place you hide a player. Right field is where you put a guy with a cannon who can assure you balls won’t get lost in the corner and turn into a triple. Nevertheless, the move of Soto to left field was necessary even if it creates some immediate chaos out in right field with Benge still needing to prove himself.

David Stearns isn’t publicly moving off of the idea of Baty in the outfield. He and Tyrone Taylor are two of the most obvious answers even if one comes with a question of defense and the other with regular offense. Then there’s a third choice. As if Stearns already had this in mind over the weekend, the team’s recent signing of MJ Melendez feels slightly more important.

If there’s one thing MJ Melendez can bring to the Mets it’s experience in the outfield and a cannon

Melendez has been a poorly rated defensive player in his career. He hits the ball hard and far (sometimes) but he doesn’t have a position on the field to play. He transitioned from catcher to outfielder early in his career. The results have been horrific. The catcher’s arm has remained. His arm strength has regularly been in the top 10% of the league for outfielders.

You don’t put a guy in right field just because he can throw hard, though. Melendez has a lot more he needs to do in Mets spring training to even be a consideration. Signed to a split contract with a minor league option remaining, it’s a bit of an uphill battle already for him to make the Mets roster.

Melendez’s pathway to making the Mets roster might need an additional subtraction or injury. Taylor is a definitive outfielder. Baty is more of a utility guy but not so necessary on the infield as much as he could be in right field to kick off the year. Last year’s Mets Opening Day roster had six outfielders and five infielders. They’ve lacked balance in the past and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them begin the year in some similar iteration in 2026.

The Mets have said they’ve had plans for position changes in the past and never implemented them. It was late January/early February when last year’s first base plan included Baty and Mark Vientos while they stared at free agent Pete Alonso in a stalemate. Just because they’ve said Baty in left field was an option doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll ever see it. Trading Baty or Vientos continues to feel like a real possibility even if we don’t necessarily want it to happen.