With the recent news that the Mets plan to pivot away from Pete Alonso playing first base for the team in 2025, paired with the expectation that Mark Vientos is the natural backfill for Alonso’s former position, the vacancy at third base has become the new focus.
I'm OK with giving Baty, Mauricio, and even Acuna a shot at the 3B job, if Pete leaves. But Stearns should at the very least sign Iglesias as an option, if the tryouts fail for all three flawed contenders. It's not like Iglesias wouldn't play anyway at three infield positions.
I love Iglesias as the bench infielder. I think he makes great sense to offer defensive stability if our young guys struggle or if we hit the injury bug. I would not be too happy if Iglesias was slotted in to 3B full time because that's not a great long-term answer there.
It’s looking like the Mets will run the experiment, which is fine. But I have very little expectation in Baty (or Mauricio or Acuna) to play 3B well and hit at an acceptable level. the Marion reason to be concerned is that it means heading into the new season within the corner infielders set. I dont like that. Baty, I just wish with value somewhat recovered from AAA was traded.
I commented on a recent article that I think that Baty has too much talent to continue to disappoint, and I expect that he will be a solid major leaguer. If he gets significant playing time this year, I expect that he will be an above average offensive player. Assuming Vientos goes to 1B I really hope Baty becomes the answer at 3rd.
I think Baty can get there, too. He has shown too many flashes of competence to not put all the pieces together, at some point. Hopefully, it's with the Mets.
As we worry about whether a disappointing forming #1 team prospect can figure out the game, the Dodgers just signed Tanner Scott 4/72 (or something like that). I think you can pretty much suspend play for 25 and just give the dodgers the championship and avoid a season of disappointment.
Please don't post off-topic items on articles. This is what the Open Thread is for and you'll see I already posted the Scott news there. From now on, these off topic posts will be deleted from anyone.
The 2022 Mets won 101 games despite having a combined .217/.264/.306 line from their catchers. Baty had a .229/.306/.327 line last year, better in all three categories and a 63-point OPS advantage over the '22 catchers. Sure, you want your 3B to be better than your crappy catchers. The Mets' catchers had a 73 OPS+ in '22, while Baty had an 82 OPS+ last year.
And the hope is that the time in Triple-A last year helps him in 2025.
Do I feel great about Baty being the Opening Day starter at 3B? No, not really. But I'm ready to give him a shot at least as long as he got last year, maybe a little longer. And if he fails in that chance, I'm ready to give Mauricio a shot. And if Mauricio flops, too, they can shop for a 3B at the deadline.
Ultimately, the team doesn't need a perfect solution in January. And it wouldn't be a completely unprecedented thing if a former top prospect succeeds after failing early in his career. Xander Bogaerts had an 84 OPS+ in his first 644 PA in the majors. Baty, while older, has 324 PA in the majors. Jurickson Profar had a 71 OPS+ in his first 718 PA thru age 24. Then he had a 107 OPS+ at the same age as Baty will be in 2025. Josh Naylor had an 88 OPS+ in 633 PA thru age 24 and posted a 121 OPS+ at age 25.
It just seems worthwhile to give a former first-round pick and a top 20 in all of MLB prospect a shot. I mean, it's not like giving undrafted Doug Flynn a starting job in 1981 after he had a 64 OPS+ from 1978-1980.
The gap between the top of the game and the Mets just keeps widening. I dont think Soto and the minimal-quality other acquisitions is moving the needle at all for the post season, and just a little against the NLE. I am not seeing the Dodgers east. Im seeing more of a modified Milwaukee east. One team is acquiring the best and staffing the entire team while the other is debating whether a failing prospect can make it and putting in a row of hopefuls and catch-lightning-in-a-bottle risks.
My guess Baty leaves the big team when he inevitably does with < 100 OPS+, likely < 90.
I have also thought that Stearns is running this team much like he did in Milwaukee, with a larger budget. The reality, though, is that the Stearns team in Milwaukee was successful and always a thorn in the side of the teams who spent way more. Hopefully, despite the Dodgers being miles ahead of us, the teams he puts together can continue to be scrappy.
I don't really think anybody sees Baty as a #1 draft pick superstar. Unless anyone sees Mauricio being that guy (I don't), there is nobody in the top levels of the pipeline that is a guy to look forward to. Maybe if Pete walks, they can package Baty up in a deal for Arenado, and put him there until we see what Baez will be able to do in '27 or '28. If St. Louis doesn't want to pay any of Arenado's remaining salary, they can't ask for top level prospects. Baty and Hamel with one lower level guy (even Parada) should do it.
He doesn't have to be a superstar. There's a wide, wide range of acceptable outcomes between useless and superstar for a guy making minimum wage.
Arenado has gone from a 151 OPS+ to a 108 OPS+ to a 101 OPS+. I don't know why you'd trade anything for him and/or take on any salary. He's under contract thru 2027 so you can't even view it as a one-year stop-gap like Goldschmidt.
I think Acuna is a utility player and not a 3B. And I'd rather give Acuna a shot than trade for Arenado.
I get that he will never again approach the 151, but he has been in the middle of a really poor situation in St. Louis for the last couple years. Scott Rolen had a couple of down years at ages 32 and 33 and then bounced back to 116 and 126 OPS+ in his 34 and 35 year old seasons. Not MVP like, but better than average. I would anticipate that if Arenado is healthy and is hitting in a line-up with some better hitters, he will provide both better overall offense and certainly defense than either Baty or Mauricio will provide.
Just like with Alonso, there's a chance that Arenado might move back heavily in the direction of what he posted three years ago. The questions are: How likely is that to happen and how much are you willing to pay for that?
My opinion is that there's somewhere in the neighborhood of a 10-20% chance that happens for either player. A puncher's chance. But it's not anything that I'd go out of my way to add to the team at the cost it would take.
Maybe the odds aren't any better for Baty or Marte to succeed in 2025. But they're already on the team, already being paid. I'd rather go down the drain with those two than spend additional money and/or prospect capital to do the same with Alonso and/or Arenado.
I’d definitely take a chance on one of our young guys rather than trade for Arenado at this point in his career, even if the Cardinals pick up most or all of his salary. He’s not a star anymore.
Welcome Ryan and a nice piece today on Baty. He certainly hit while down at AAA where he hit .252 with an OPS of .854 with 16 HR in 62 games and 269 plate appearances. Let’s remember that prior to last year he’d only played in 32 games at the AAA level. This is a big chance for him this spring to make 3B his own. Mauricio has more potential and in 2023 over 116 games he hit .292 with an OPS of .852 with 23 HR and 71 RBI. This is the production we need from the corner position. Arenado would be good on defense and his hitting would likely match anyone they would put out there but he’s owed a ton of money and while he’s not the player he once was, he’d be a solid addition to the team. But the Cards will have to pitch in $10 million a year if they want to get rid of the three years left on his contract.
Would the Mets be better off leaving Vientos at 3B and trying Baty and Mauricio at 1B? None of them are first baseman and Vientos does have a rifle for an arm at third. He made the routine plays but at times did not instinctively know where to throw the ball. A pro already knows where the ball has to go before it is hit to them. I’m all for signing Iggy for a one year at $6 million because then there is no rush to bring up Acuña or Mauricio. He also can back up at three infield positions. Still holding out hope that Cohen intercedes, gives Alonso a reality check and makes a deal to bring him back. Otherwise I’ll need to take back the Alonso shirts I gave to my grandsons. But don’t worry, already have Soto shirts for them (and me). LGM!
Vientos had a career 919 OPS and Baty had a career 899 OPS at Syracuse. If Alonso does not sign then Baty has earned another chance. It is unfortunate that Mauricio, with his career 852 OPS at Syracuse, isn't healthy to compete for the third base position. Acuna hasn't played third base in the minors so I dismissed him as a third baseman. I didn't think Vientos would have such an impact last year but he did. I don't expect Baty to have a breakout year but I do expect him to be slightly above average.
I really enjoyed the article and the linked video. Thanks
I certainly hope Mauricio picks up where he left off and can compete from the jump, but I have a gut feeling that not playing baseball for over a year probably damaged his development. Thankfully he's still very young and has a long time to grow.
Well done, Ryan and welcome to the Three-Six-Oh family.
I, for one, fully expect Alonso to return to the Mets until or unless the ink is dry on a new deal elsewhere and frankly, I want no part of Baty-Vientos on opposite corners — I think that’s giving up & accepting a 3rd place divisional finish and another all-out battle for a Wild Card spot. I don’t want to waste a single minute of Soto’s 15 years here.
I am holding onto hope that Pete is back as well. Fingers crossed we can find a middle ground where both sides feel like it was fair, and we can watch our young guys develop with supports around them.
I'm OK with giving Baty, Mauricio, and even Acuna a shot at the 3B job, if Pete leaves. But Stearns should at the very least sign Iglesias as an option, if the tryouts fail for all three flawed contenders. It's not like Iglesias wouldn't play anyway at three infield positions.
I love Iglesias as the bench infielder. I think he makes great sense to offer defensive stability if our young guys struggle or if we hit the injury bug. I would not be too happy if Iglesias was slotted in to 3B full time because that's not a great long-term answer there.
It’s looking like the Mets will run the experiment, which is fine. But I have very little expectation in Baty (or Mauricio or Acuna) to play 3B well and hit at an acceptable level. the Marion reason to be concerned is that it means heading into the new season within the corner infielders set. I dont like that. Baty, I just wish with value somewhat recovered from AAA was traded.
I commented on a recent article that I think that Baty has too much talent to continue to disappoint, and I expect that he will be a solid major leaguer. If he gets significant playing time this year, I expect that he will be an above average offensive player. Assuming Vientos goes to 1B I really hope Baty becomes the answer at 3rd.
I think Baty can get there, too. He has shown too many flashes of competence to not put all the pieces together, at some point. Hopefully, it's with the Mets.
As we worry about whether a disappointing forming #1 team prospect can figure out the game, the Dodgers just signed Tanner Scott 4/72 (or something like that). I think you can pretty much suspend play for 25 and just give the dodgers the championship and avoid a season of disappointment.
Please don't post off-topic items on articles. This is what the Open Thread is for and you'll see I already posted the Scott news there. From now on, these off topic posts will be deleted from anyone.
Thanks - Brian
The 2022 Mets won 101 games despite having a combined .217/.264/.306 line from their catchers. Baty had a .229/.306/.327 line last year, better in all three categories and a 63-point OPS advantage over the '22 catchers. Sure, you want your 3B to be better than your crappy catchers. The Mets' catchers had a 73 OPS+ in '22, while Baty had an 82 OPS+ last year.
And the hope is that the time in Triple-A last year helps him in 2025.
Do I feel great about Baty being the Opening Day starter at 3B? No, not really. But I'm ready to give him a shot at least as long as he got last year, maybe a little longer. And if he fails in that chance, I'm ready to give Mauricio a shot. And if Mauricio flops, too, they can shop for a 3B at the deadline.
Ultimately, the team doesn't need a perfect solution in January. And it wouldn't be a completely unprecedented thing if a former top prospect succeeds after failing early in his career. Xander Bogaerts had an 84 OPS+ in his first 644 PA in the majors. Baty, while older, has 324 PA in the majors. Jurickson Profar had a 71 OPS+ in his first 718 PA thru age 24. Then he had a 107 OPS+ at the same age as Baty will be in 2025. Josh Naylor had an 88 OPS+ in 633 PA thru age 24 and posted a 121 OPS+ at age 25.
It just seems worthwhile to give a former first-round pick and a top 20 in all of MLB prospect a shot. I mean, it's not like giving undrafted Doug Flynn a starting job in 1981 after he had a 64 OPS+ from 1978-1980.
The gap between the top of the game and the Mets just keeps widening. I dont think Soto and the minimal-quality other acquisitions is moving the needle at all for the post season, and just a little against the NLE. I am not seeing the Dodgers east. Im seeing more of a modified Milwaukee east. One team is acquiring the best and staffing the entire team while the other is debating whether a failing prospect can make it and putting in a row of hopefuls and catch-lightning-in-a-bottle risks.
My guess Baty leaves the big team when he inevitably does with < 100 OPS+, likely < 90.
I have also thought that Stearns is running this team much like he did in Milwaukee, with a larger budget. The reality, though, is that the Stearns team in Milwaukee was successful and always a thorn in the side of the teams who spent way more. Hopefully, despite the Dodgers being miles ahead of us, the teams he puts together can continue to be scrappy.
I don't really think anybody sees Baty as a #1 draft pick superstar. Unless anyone sees Mauricio being that guy (I don't), there is nobody in the top levels of the pipeline that is a guy to look forward to. Maybe if Pete walks, they can package Baty up in a deal for Arenado, and put him there until we see what Baez will be able to do in '27 or '28. If St. Louis doesn't want to pay any of Arenado's remaining salary, they can't ask for top level prospects. Baty and Hamel with one lower level guy (even Parada) should do it.
He doesn't have to be a superstar. There's a wide, wide range of acceptable outcomes between useless and superstar for a guy making minimum wage.
Arenado has gone from a 151 OPS+ to a 108 OPS+ to a 101 OPS+. I don't know why you'd trade anything for him and/or take on any salary. He's under contract thru 2027 so you can't even view it as a one-year stop-gap like Goldschmidt.
I think Acuna is a utility player and not a 3B. And I'd rather give Acuna a shot than trade for Arenado.
I get that he will never again approach the 151, but he has been in the middle of a really poor situation in St. Louis for the last couple years. Scott Rolen had a couple of down years at ages 32 and 33 and then bounced back to 116 and 126 OPS+ in his 34 and 35 year old seasons. Not MVP like, but better than average. I would anticipate that if Arenado is healthy and is hitting in a line-up with some better hitters, he will provide both better overall offense and certainly defense than either Baty or Mauricio will provide.
I see Acuna more on the second base side.
Just like with Alonso, there's a chance that Arenado might move back heavily in the direction of what he posted three years ago. The questions are: How likely is that to happen and how much are you willing to pay for that?
My opinion is that there's somewhere in the neighborhood of a 10-20% chance that happens for either player. A puncher's chance. But it's not anything that I'd go out of my way to add to the team at the cost it would take.
Maybe the odds aren't any better for Baty or Marte to succeed in 2025. But they're already on the team, already being paid. I'd rather go down the drain with those two than spend additional money and/or prospect capital to do the same with Alonso and/or Arenado.
I’d definitely take a chance on one of our young guys rather than trade for Arenado at this point in his career, even if the Cardinals pick up most or all of his salary. He’s not a star anymore.
Welcome Ryan and a nice piece today on Baty. He certainly hit while down at AAA where he hit .252 with an OPS of .854 with 16 HR in 62 games and 269 plate appearances. Let’s remember that prior to last year he’d only played in 32 games at the AAA level. This is a big chance for him this spring to make 3B his own. Mauricio has more potential and in 2023 over 116 games he hit .292 with an OPS of .852 with 23 HR and 71 RBI. This is the production we need from the corner position. Arenado would be good on defense and his hitting would likely match anyone they would put out there but he’s owed a ton of money and while he’s not the player he once was, he’d be a solid addition to the team. But the Cards will have to pitch in $10 million a year if they want to get rid of the three years left on his contract.
Would the Mets be better off leaving Vientos at 3B and trying Baty and Mauricio at 1B? None of them are first baseman and Vientos does have a rifle for an arm at third. He made the routine plays but at times did not instinctively know where to throw the ball. A pro already knows where the ball has to go before it is hit to them. I’m all for signing Iggy for a one year at $6 million because then there is no rush to bring up Acuña or Mauricio. He also can back up at three infield positions. Still holding out hope that Cohen intercedes, gives Alonso a reality check and makes a deal to bring him back. Otherwise I’ll need to take back the Alonso shirts I gave to my grandsons. But don’t worry, already have Soto shirts for them (and me). LGM!
Vientos had a career 919 OPS and Baty had a career 899 OPS at Syracuse. If Alonso does not sign then Baty has earned another chance. It is unfortunate that Mauricio, with his career 852 OPS at Syracuse, isn't healthy to compete for the third base position. Acuna hasn't played third base in the minors so I dismissed him as a third baseman. I didn't think Vientos would have such an impact last year but he did. I don't expect Baty to have a breakout year but I do expect him to be slightly above average.
I really enjoyed the article and the linked video. Thanks
I certainly hope Mauricio picks up where he left off and can compete from the jump, but I have a gut feeling that not playing baseball for over a year probably damaged his development. Thankfully he's still very young and has a long time to grow.
Well done, Ryan and welcome to the Three-Six-Oh family.
I, for one, fully expect Alonso to return to the Mets until or unless the ink is dry on a new deal elsewhere and frankly, I want no part of Baty-Vientos on opposite corners — I think that’s giving up & accepting a 3rd place divisional finish and another all-out battle for a Wild Card spot. I don’t want to waste a single minute of Soto’s 15 years here.
I am holding onto hope that Pete is back as well. Fingers crossed we can find a middle ground where both sides feel like it was fair, and we can watch our young guys develop with supports around them.