4 Mets third base options if they don’t have answers after the 2024 season

The pressure is on for the New York Mets to figure out their third base situation. It’s a competition between Brett Baty and not really anyone else. Mark Vientos will get opportunities to play the hot corner at times, too, especially with J.D. Martinez getting the bulk of at-bats as the DH.

Time can run out quickly for both players. Baty failed to prove he belongs in the big leagues last year. Vientos, with only one more minor league option this season, might be in “do or DFA” mode.

What happens if the Mets don’t figure it out? They have these four options to turn to.

1) The Mets can go big and sign Alex Bregman

The big free agent “get” for third base next year will be Alex Bregman. We’ll see rumblings of the Mets checking in on his price tag. That’s just what we’ll need to expect throughout the ownership of Steve Cohen. Any big time free agent fit will at least be a consideration.

Bregman hasn’t been quite as elite in recent seasons. More importantly, the fear of buying an aging third baseman showing some signs of decline over remaining patient with Baty for even another year is enough to have the Mets turning in another direction. Signing Bregman would make headlines. Does it actually make the most sense for the Mets?

With the Mets needing to rebuild almost the entire pitching staff yet again next winter plus the likely pursuits of Pete Alonso and/or Juan Soto in free agency, Bregman seems to fall a little further down on the totem pole of needs. Anyone who signs him could be getting themselves into a situation where they’re paying a guy whose best is already behind him.

Prediction: The Mets check in but don’t seriously pursue Alex Bregman.

2) The Mets can bridge the gap with Gio Urshela

We know the Mets were interested in Gio Urshela for this year off the bench. What about as a starter next year? Bridging the gap with Urshela actually makes a lot of sense. It could even allow them to give Baty a little more leash if they’re still a little undecided. Urshela shouldn’t cost a whole lot in terms of dollars or years regardless of how well he does with the Detroit Tigers this season.

A lighter hitting third baseman than maybe we’d like to see, his defensive versatility and ability helps make him a solid match for the Mets. On a one or two-year deal with a reasonable expectation that he will share some playing time in 2025 and possibly revert to a bench role in 2026 makes this a solid enough plan as long as the other pieces around him are big ones.

The Mets can bridge any gap at third base with several others. Urshela, however, seems to be one of the better options. They aren’t going to bring back J.D. Davis for third base duties. If Eugenio Suarez ends up as a free agent, which is a possibility, maybe he then becomes the short-term guy.

There’s also Yoan Moncada whose $25 million club options will undoubtedly be denied by the Chicago White Sox. He could be a fun project to try to get the most out of although we can all probably agree it won’t have a huge pay off.

Prediction: The Mets end up with at least one veteran third base option even if it’s more as a bench player.

4) The Mets can see if another prospect can take the reins

Here’s a likely scenario to pair with another. Let’s say the Mets do sign a veteran like Urshela. What about pairing him with another prospect to see if they can handle the position? The Mets had already intended to use Ronny Mauricio at third base this coming season. They won’t get their chance. In 2025, maybe it does make sense.

Mauricio is far from the only player who could take on that position. The positional questions with Luisangel Acuna are real. Jeff McNeil is under contract and seems to be locked in at second base. If they’ve moved Brandon Nimmo to left field this year, why would they backtrack and then move him back to center field next year? Although not impossible to do this and make McNeil the left fielder, it would be wise for the Mets to at least experiment with Acuna at third base even if it’s only ever in the minors.

Figuring out exactly what each of the top position prospects will play is a challenge for every Mets fan to take on this year. If you’ve already written Juan Soto into the lineup for 2025 and beyond, there goes a corner outfield/DH spot. There’s also Drew Gilbert and Jett Williams to consider.

The Mets do have a prospect a little further down the pipeline named Jacob Reimer who plays third base. However, early struggles at third base probably mean he, too, will need to play somewhere else as he gets closer to major league ready.

In 2025, there’s no simple solution for the Mets at third base if Baty and/or Vientos don’t figure it out.

Prediction: The Mets test Ronny Mauricio out at third base and abandon the project when they see it doesn’t work. We get a temporary solution in 2025 with a mix of youngsters and a veteran thrown in for good measure.