1 player the Mets should have traded while he had peak value

The New York Mets are in a strong position when it comes to their talent that they currently possess in their Minor League system after some franchise altering trades at this year's trade deadline. While we are still some time away from seeing what these players are capable of at the Major League level, the Mets have had some prospects in the past that were on the national radar and haven't quite lived up to expectation, which they probably held on to for too long.

Most recently one of those players that has not lived up to the aforementioned hype is third baseman Brett Baty. The 23-year-old Baty was rated as high as the Mets number two prospect by MLB.com coming into 2023, and he has struggled both offensively and defensively over the course of his first season in the Major Leagues.

The Mets will not be able to receive previous value for Brett Baty if they look to trade him moving forward.

Baty was highly regarded around baseball as a prospect the Mets could potentially dangle last offseason in potential trades as they looked to build a World Series contender, which ultimately never came to fruition. Baty's stock had never been higher, and if the Mets are looking to go in a potential different direction at third base this year, Baty's stock may have never been lower.

While there is still plenty of time for Baty to turn his career around at the MLB level, it's fair to wonder if that will come with the Mets or another franchise moving forward. If the Mets were to move on from Baty, they would be selling his talent as a buy low candidate unless he were to be packaged with multiple players in a deal.

While it's easy to look back and think what the Mets could have potentially gotten for Baty in a trade with another franchise, while his stock was red-hot last offseason, it's also tough to project him having the disappointing season that he had in 2023.

If there is anything to learn from this lesson, it is that sometimes prospects don't always pan out the way we intend them to (ex: Francisco Martinez, Lastings Milledge, etc.). In turn, if you have the ability to acquire proven Major League talent, especially when you are in a win-now scenario, you have to strike while the iron is hot, as prospect rankings and their outlooks fluctuate daily like the stock market.