Mets roster clash: Should Brett Baty stay or go?

Along with free agents, the New York Mets will have some choices to make with players under team control. One who will inevitably land on the trade block is third baseman Brett Baty whose 2024 campaign had him dip down the depth chart a few miles behind Mark Vientos.

Baty showed promise as a defender but did very little on offense. He slashed .229/.306/.327 with only 3 doubles and 4 home runs in 171 trips to the plate. He had an unusually unproductive stint in Triple-A as well, batting .252/.349/.504 for Syracuse in his 269 plate appearances there. Getting sent down so early and witnessing from afar how the Mets were able to play so well without him might have been a distraction.

Should Brett Baty stay with the Mets or should he go?

With Baty, the answer comes down to what the Mets could get for him in a trade. Selling him low doesn’t seem right. He is both still only 24 (25 in November) and yet he is already 24 (also 25 in November). He’s at an age where a player is in a bit of a make or break situation. Failed opportunities in back-to-back seasons that resulted in a demotion, Baty’s future with the Mets needs more than a pair of windshield wipers to clear.

The wise strategy with Baty is to hold onto him until at least the future of Pete Alonso is decided. He’d be a third base option if Alonso left and moving Vientos to first base became a solution. This isn’t ideal, though. Baty will need some support at third base. He could get it in a couple of forms.

Vientos would be an obvious candidate to still get some starts at third base. A healthy Ronny Mauricio, too, should factor in as long as he remains with the organization. It’s easy to forget how he is a trade commodity given how many infielders the Mets have vying for playing time. Luisangel Acuna showed enough in the majors this year to move up the depth chart.

There is only so long the Mets can wait around for Baty to start hitting. This isn’t a case like it is with Francisco Alvarez who plays one of the most valuable positions on the field. Pitchers like throwing to him. When he struggles at the plate, the comfort he provides to the pitching staff helps make up for some of it.

One could argue Baty’s trade value is as low as it could ever get. He has one minor league option remaining which helps a tad. Someone else could at least have an eject button in a final attempt to help him live up to his potential.

Young players on the trade market always come with a risk. For Baty, the best solution is to package him in a deal with a team willing to wait. The Mets haven’t made any blockbuster trades under David Stearns. This offseason could be different.

There aren’t enough reasons to keep Baty around. He’s not a capable enough Opening Day option at third base. Keep him and accept he could be a bust or sell him for whatever you can get.