Headlines

  • Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury
  • Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin
  • Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib
  • Tucker Barnhart To Retire
  • Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline
  • Reds Release Jeimer Candelario
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Brett Baty

Jed Hoyer: Cubs Planning To Look For Pitching At Deadline

By Mark Polishuk | June 10, 2025 at 10:02am CDT

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer joined the New York Post’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman for an interview on the latest edition of The Show podcast (YouTube link), and discussed a number of topics about both his team and baseball at large.  Though we’re still several weeks away from the July 31 trade deadline, Hoyer did address his first-place team’s likeliest need.

“I think we’re going to be looking for pitching, both rotation and in the bullpen,” Hoyer said.  “I don’t think that’s a secret.  That’s not a knock on the guys we have.  But I think in today’s game, you’ve got to keep building depth.”

Justin Steele pitched in just four games before his season was prematurely ended by a UCL revision surgery, thus robbing Wrigleyville of one of its top arms for almost the entirety of the 2025 campaign.  Javier Assad hasn’t pitched at all this season due to a pair of oblique injuries, and since he only started playing catch a couple of weeks ago, it would seem that a return prior to the All-Star break might not be in the cards.  Shota Imanaga hasn’t pitched since May 4 due to a hamstring strain, and Hoyer said “the hope is” Imanaga will be able to return to the rotation before the end of June.

Without their two top pitchers and another hurler in Assad that expected to at least compete for a back-end rotation job, Chicago has done well to hold its own on the rotation front even with such a depleted set of starters.  Hoyer made a point of praising his in-house starters and his team’s defense for helping the run-prevention efforts, yet bringing at least one starting pitcher into the fold seems like a logical way to reinforce the roster heading into the pennant drive.

As one might expect, Hoyer didn’t share any hints about how big of a splash the Cubs are looking to make at the deadline, and still couched his comments within the framework of “if” the front office chose to make any additions by July 31.  It could be that Hoyer may not know the answer to such questions himself at the moment, as the Cubs’ trade pursuits may hinge on Imanaga’s assumed healthy status by July 31, Assad’s progress, or any other injuries or pitchers who are under- or overachieving in the coming weeks.

Hoyer also said that Porter Hodge is expected to return from his own oblique injury before June is out, which will bring another high-leverage candidate back to help the relief corps.  As Hoyer put it, however, bullpens are “always a work in progress…I don’t think you ever get to a point of feeling comfortable or feeling like it’s a set thing.”  With this in mind, the pen will be a focus both on July 31, and “we’ll keep on making small transactions [before the deadline] as well to get marginally better.”

On the flip side of the equation, Hoyer doesn’t see the Cubs doing much to alter its impressive core of position players on the trade front.  The Cubs have been one of baseball’s best hitting teams, with the powerful offense helping make up for any of the pitching staff’s shortcomings.

“Barring injury, there are probably some small things [we’ll consider] on the offensive side, but really I think that our position-playing group has been really good….The depth we have, top to bottom, I think we’re getting production both offensively and defensively from all our spots.  That’s made a huge difference.  As I think about it, pitching is the likely direction we would take if we were adding [at the deadline],” Hoyer said.

In terms of other topics, Hoyer said he wouldn’t comment publicly on either the existence of any extensions talks between the Cubs and Kyle Tucker, or even any talks between himself and the team on a new deal, as Hoyer’s current contract is up after the 2025 season.  Hoyer repeated past comments about how he hoped Tucker would stay in Chicago over the long term, and how much he has enjoyed his own 14-season tenure in the organization as first a general manager and then the head of the baseball operations department.

Hoyer did go into a little more detail about what might now be the most impactful trade of his five-year run as PBO — the July 2021 deadline deal that brought Pete Crow-Armstrong to the then-rebuilding Cubs from the Mets for Javier Baez, Trevor Williams, and some cash considerations.  New York took Crow-Armstrong 19th overall in the 2020 draft so it wasn’t as if PCA was an unknown quantity, yet a shoulder surgery limited the outfielder to only six games in his first pro season.

The Mets weren’t willing to discuss moving more highly-touted prospects at the time, as Hoyer said such players as Francisco Alvarez, Matt Allan, and Brett Baty were “off the table” in trade talks.  Mark Vientos “was a guy that was kind of discussed a little bit but it was clear they didn’t want to part with him,” Hoyer noted, so discussions turned towards elsewhere on New York’s minor league depth chart.

Crow-Armstrong “was sort of out of sight, out of mind, I believe,” Hoyer said.  “Looking back, I think his injury didn’t allow him to perform, and therefore I think he became a guy [the Mets] were willing to trade in that deal.  So I think it was good fortune for us that they did take some really good players off the table, and most of those guys are helping the Mets right now, but Pete’s injury allowed that to happen and it worked out really well for us.”

While Hoyer felt Crow-Armstrong was going to improve as a hitter during his second full Major League season, even the executive admitted to being a little surprised at the extent of the breakout.  PCA has been one of the very best all-around players in the sport, delivering 17 homers, 21 stolen bases, and a .277/.313/.559 slash line over 275 plate appearances while also playing Gold Glove-level defense in center field.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Chicago Cubs New York Mets Brett Baty Francisco Alvarez Jed Hoyer Mark Vientos Matt Allan Pete Crow-Armstrong Porter Hodge Shota Imanaga

109 comments

Mets Recall Ronny Mauricio

By Steve Adams | June 3, 2025 at 4:45pm CDT

4:45pm: As expected, Vientos has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain, per Will Sammon of The Athletic.

8:45am: The Mets are calling infielder Ronny Mauricio back up to the majors for what’ll be his first MLB action since 2023, as first reported by Mike Rodriguez. Mauricio missed the entire 2024 season after suffering an ACL tear during winter ball in the 2023-24 offseason and began the 2025 season on the injured list as he finished up his rehab from the resulting knee surgery.

Mauricio’s return to the big leagues dovetails with a potential injury for third baseman/designated hitter Mark Vientos, who left last night’s game with discomfort in his hamstring after running out a grounder in the 10th inning. Skipper Carlos Mendoza noted after the game that it “didn’t look good” for Vientos following that exit and added that the slugger went straight to have imaging performed. The results of that MRI haven’t yet been shared publicly, but Mauricio traveling to Los Angeles to meet the Mets certainly seems to suggest an IL stint for Vientos could be forthcoming.

Still just 24 years old, Mauricio has ranked among the Mets’ top prospects for upwards of six years now. Originally signed out of his native Dominican Republic eight years ago, he’s had a relatively slow climb to the majors — granted, in large part due to that injury — but now looks poised for an opportunity of some note. He received a 26-game cup of coffee late in the 2023 season and batted .248/.296/.347 in his first 108 MLB plate appearances. Were it not for last year’s knee injury, Mauricio very likely would’ve gotten a larger opportunity in 2024.

The question of how to juggle playing time and opportunities for the promising young infield group of Mauricio, Vientos, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña has loomed over the Mets for some time, but that quartet has never been healthy enough simultaneously to force the issue. Early this season, Baty increasingly looked to be the odd man out, but he shook off a slow start and has been hitting well enough to cut into Vientos’ time at third base. After collecting only three hits in his first 10 games of the season, Baty has tallied 101 plate appearances with a hearty .280/.330/.548 slash (146 wRC+). He’s homered six times and added three doubles, two triples and a pair of stolen bases along the way.

As Baty’s bat heated up, both Vientos and Acuña cooled. Acuña’s month of May was even rougher than Baty’s first week-plus; he hit .204/.252/.222 last month and is hitless in three plate appearances since the calendar turned to June. Vientos, meanwhile, carried above-average production at the plate into mid-May, but he’s batted just .191/.250/.298 in his past 52 turns at the dish. All the while as that balance of playing time shifted in the majors, Mauricio was reacclimating to the rigors of pro ball and readying for another opportunity — one that now looks to have presented itself.

Mauricio posted an awful .125/.176/.188 line with a 35.3% strikeout rate in his first 10 games back from the injured list, which were split between Class-A and Double-A. With his rehab complete, the Mets unsurprisingly optioned him to Triple-A rather than call him up after that performance in the lower minors. A return to Triple-A Syracuse coincided with a return to form at the plate. Mauricio has played in nine Triple-A games and collected multiple hits in seven of them. He’s ripped three homers and a double, all while drawing the same number of walks as strikeouts (five) in 39 plate appearances.

The Mets would probably have preferred to see Mauricio draw out this hot streak a bit longer — both given the extent of his initial struggles in the low minors and because he’s yet to play on three consecutive days at any point in his return to action. He’s only played on consecutive days six times since his return to the field on April 27. The Vientos injury likely forced the Mets’ hand, however. Mauricio may end up in a limited role early on, sharing time at third base with Baty, at second base with Acuña and Jeff McNeil, and at DH with Starling Marte.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Luisangel Acuna Mark Vientos Ronny Mauricio

77 comments

Mets Place Jesse Winker On 10-Day IL With Oblique Strain

By Mark Polishuk | May 5, 2025 at 6:15pm CDT

May 5: The Mets placed Winker on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain. Brett Baty was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the active roster.

May 4: Jesse Winker was removed during the fourth inning of today’s 6-5 Mets loss to the Cardinals when Winker hurt his right side after a making a throw from left field.  Attempting to throw out Brendan Donovan at home during a third-inning sacrifice fly, Winker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) postgame that he “felt it pretty much right when I threw the ball.”  Winker finished the rest of the inning, but was replaced before the Mets’ next turn in the field.

An MRI revealed oblique damage, and Winker will head back to New York for more testing on Monday.  An official placement for Winker on the 10-day injured list is sure to follow before the Mets take the field tomorrow in Phoenix to start a series against the Diamondbacks.  Oblique injuries have an uncertain timeline even if a player is dealing with a minor strain, and a more severe strain could put Winker out for months or even put his season in jeopardy.

Sunday marked Winker’s first start of the season in the outfield, and only his second non-DH appearance in 24 total appearances in 2025.  Because the Mets were playing a doubleheader against the Cardinals, the team had to stretch the roster a bit more than usual, leading to Winker’s start in left field in the first game, and Starling Marte’s first appearance in the outfield all season when he was the starting right fielder for the second game.

Getting hurt during that rare outfield outing just adds to the misfortune of Winker’s situation, and his absence will remove a key left-handed bat from New York’s roster.  Winker and Marte have covered the designated hitter at-bats in a lefty/right platoon, so as DiComo notes, the Mets might be able to fill Winker’s spot by cycling multiple players through the DH spot.  Such left-handed hitting options as Jared Young, Jon Singleton, Donovan Walton, or Billy McKinney are at Triple-A as potential call-ups — Young is the only member of that group who is on the 40-man roster, but the Mets could open up another 40-man spot by moving Jose Siri to the 60-day IL.

Winker is off to an okay but unspectacular start in 2025, producing a 104 wRC+ from a .239/.321/.418 slash line over 78 plate appearances.  Initially acquired as a trade deadline rental from the Nationals last July, Winker hit decently well during the rest of the regular season and then had a monstrous 1.168 OPS over 32 PA during the Mets’ playoff run.  The Mets liked what they saw from the veteran and brought him back to Queens on a one-year, $7.5MM free agent deal.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Jesse Winker

24 comments

Mets Option Brett Baty

By Anthony Franco | April 24, 2025 at 8:10pm CDT

The Mets optioned Brett Baty to Triple-A Syracuse, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. As expected, they also optioned catcher Hayden Senger. New York will activate Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez from the 10-day IL before tomorrow’s game in Washington.

McNeil will bounce between second base, the corner outfield, and potentially see some time in center field. He’ll be in the lineup on most days. It would have been difficult to find regular playing time for Baty unless the Mets were willing to commit to McNeil as an everyday center fielder — a tall ask for a player with 16 MLB innings there. Mark Vientos is the everyday third baseman, while Jesse Winker starts at designated hitter against righty pitching.

Baty and Luisangel Acuña have split the second base work in McNeil’s absence. Acuña is a better fit off the bench. He’s a good athlete who can back up around the infield and potentially see some center field work. Acuña has also outhit Baty through the season’s first few weeks. He owns a .283/.356/.377 line in 59 plate appearances. Baty carries a .204/.246/.352 slash over 58 trips.

The lefty-hitting Baty had been getting into a better groove of late. He only collected three hits over his first eight games. He has eight knocks — four of which went for extra bases — over his most recent 27 at-bats. Still, it’s better for Baty to get everyday reps in the minors rather than play two or three times per week off the MLB bench. Assuming he spends at least 20 days in the minors, this will be Baty’s final option year.

Alvarez’s return pushes Luis Torrens to the backup catcher role. Acuña, Torrens, Starling Marte and fifth outfielder José Azocar comprise Carlos Mendoza’s bench.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Hayden Senger

87 comments

Mets Expect To Activate Francisco Alvarez, Jeff McNeil On Friday

By Steve Adams | April 23, 2025 at 1:50pm CDT

The Mets are planning to reinstate catcher Francisco Alvarez and infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil from the 10-day injured list on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza announced to reporters (video link via SNY). Both players will be making their 2025 debuts. Each will play in one final rehab game today.

Alvarez, 23, has appeared in nine rehab games thus far and taken 40 plate appearances. He’s out to a middling start, but the nature of his injury — a fractured hamate bone that required surgery — has a tendency to dull offensive performance early on when hitters return. The slugging backstop has been the Mets’ primary catcher over the past two seasons, hitting a combined .222/.294/.422 with 36 home runs in 765 plate appearances. Alvarez has also emerged as a top-tier pitch framer, though his blocking and throwing abilities lag behind.

So far in 2025, the Mets have gone with journeyman Luis Torrens as their starter and homegrown 28-year-old Hayden Senger as their backup. Torrens hit quite well through his first 11 games but has fallen into a deep slump. The 28-year-old is just 3-for-27 over his past nine games, making Alvarez’s expected return all the more timely. It’s likely that Torrens will continue on as the backup in order to preserve catching depth; he’s out of minor league options, whereas Senger has a full slate of option years left and can be sent directly to Triple-A Syracuse without first needing to clear waivers.

McNeil has been out all year due to an oblique strain. The Mets have gotten him some looks in center field during this rehab stint, although he’s not likely to play the position regularly. Still, with Jose Siri sidelined for upwards of 10 weeks due to a fracture in his leg, the Mets took advantage of McNeil’s rehab stint and versatile defensive profile to get him a start in center.

In all likelihood, McNeil will return and see time at second base, at designated hitter and perhaps in an outfield corner. The Mets opened the year with Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty sharing time at second base. Acuña has handled things well, hitting .275/.351/.373 and contributing solid glovework.

Baty, after a torrid spring performance, had a brutal two-week stretch to begin the season but has begun to turn things around. The 25-year-old former first rounder crushed a second-deck homer off Zack Wheeler in the Mets’ currently ongoing game against the Phillies and entered play today on a .280/.357/.440 heater over his past eight contests. He’s still hitting just .204/.246/.354, but it’ll take some time to recover from the .111/.111/.148 line he totaled through his first 27 trips to the plate.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Francisco Alvarez Hayden Senger Jeff McNeil Luis Torrens

22 comments

Mets Announce Several Roster Decisions

By Steve Adams | March 26, 2025 at 5:14pm CDT

5:14PM: Acuna will also make the team, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base.

2:22PM: The Mets will break camp with infielder Brett Baty, catcher Hayden Senger and righties Max Kranick and Huascar Brazoban on the roster, president of baseball operations David Stearns announced to the team’s beat this afternoon (links via Newsday’s Tim Healey). A decision on infielder Luisangel Acuña has not yet been reached. The Mets could still bring an infielder in from outside the organization, per Healey. Senger is not on the 40-man roster, but the Mets currently have one opening.

On top of that, Stearns revealed that righty Paul Blackburn will begin the season on the injured list due to inflammation in his right knee. He won’t throw for the next seven to ten days, but the team expects that Blackburn will return at some point in April.

Injuries to Jeff McNeil, Nick Madrigal and Ronny Mauricio (still rehabbing from last year’s ACL tear) opened the door for Baty or Acuña to break camp with the Mets in 2025. Early on, Acuña seemed like the more natural fit, given his ability to back up Francisco Lindor at shortstop. However, some struggles from Acuña and an absolute monster performance from Baty during Grapefruit League play has given Baty the nod, even if he’s not a viable shortstop option and has limited experience at second base, where he’ll play to begin the season.

In 59 spring plate appearances, Baty launched four homers, six doubles and a triple — all while walking more often (13.6%) than he struck out (10.2%). He finished the spring with a Herculean .353/.441/.745 batting line and will now see regular time at second base while McNeil is on the shelf. If Baty continues to hit, the Mets will be hard-pressed to send him back down, though that’s putting the cart before the horse.

Baty, a 2019 first-rounder and longtime top prospect, has seen action in parts of three MLB seasons but has yet to put it together in the majors. He’s .215/.282/.325 hitter in 602 big league plate appearances. He also only just turned 25 this offseason, however, and Baty boasts a terrific track record in Triple-A. He’s played parts of three seasons at the top minor league level and turned in a hearty .273/.368/.531 in 94 games there. That .899 OPS is a near-mirror image of the .900 mark he logged in 129 Double-A games and the .911 mark he recorded in 51 High-A games.

Senger, 27, was the Mets’ 24th-round pick back in 2018. He’s slowly climbed the minor league ladder for several years, splitting time the past three seasons between New York’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. In 2024, he turned in a combined .234/.302/.363 slash between the two levels. He ranked as highly as 23rd in the Mets’ system back in 2022, with Baseball America calling him a likely backup who has better-than-average blocking and throwing skills. He’s thwarted 31% and 37% of stolen base attempts against him over the past two seasons, even as limits on throws to first base and slightly larger bases have resulted in far greater success for runners on the basepaths.

Were it not for an injury to Francisco Alvarez, Senger likely wouldn’t have been in position to earn a roster spot. Alvarez fractured the hamate bone in his left wrist during batting practice earlier in camp, however, which required surgery. He’ll miss at least a month of the season. Journeyman Luis Torrens will break camp as the Mets’ starting catcher.

The Mets acquired Blackburn from the A’s last summer, but he’s scarcely been able to pitch for the team. The 31-year-old righty (30 at the time of the swap) pitched in only five games before a comeback liner struck his right hand and sent him to the injured list. He avoided any fractures, but Blackburn required some down time due to swelling and a lack of mobility. While on the mend, he suffered a spinal fluid leak in his back. He didn’t return in 2024 and underwent surgery in October.

Blackburn is a late bloomer who clearly has the ability to pitch in a big league rotation but has repeatedly been set back by uncommon injuries. On top of the spinal issue last year, he’s also missed significant time due to a stress reaction in his right foot and a torn pulley tendon in his right middle finger. Dating back to 2022, Blackburn has a 4.43 ERA, 20.2% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate in 290 1/3 MLB frames.

It’s been a tough spring for the Mets’ rotation. Frankie Montas was diagnosed with a lat strain shortly after camp opened, leading to a full shutdown of six to eight weeks. Sean Manaea suffered an oblique strain not long after that. Prospect Christian Scott is still recovering from last summer’s Tommy John surgery.

The Mets will open the season with a rotation that includes Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, lefty David Peterson and righties Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Hayden Senger Huascar Brazoban Max Kranick Paul Blackburn

81 comments

Mets Owner Steve Cohen Discusses “Exhausting” Pete Alonso Talks

By Mark Polishuk | January 25, 2025 at 10:58pm CDT

Talks between the Mets and Pete Alonso’s agents at the Boras Corporation seemingly hit an impasse last week, as reports emerged that the Mets expected Alonso to sign elsewhere after the two sides each rejected the other’s three-year contract offer.  Team owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns each addressed the situation at the “Amazin’ Day” fan event this weekend at Citi Field, with Cohen reinforcing the idea that the door isn’t closed on an Alonso reunion, but the chances of an agreement appear diminished.

“We made a significant offer to Pete,” Cohen told fans and media, including The Athletic’s Will Sammon.  However, the owner doesn’t “like the structures that are being presented back to us.  I think it’s highly asymmetric against us, and I feel strongly about it.  I will never say no, you know, there’s always the possibility [of an agreement].  But the reality is we’re moving forward, and as we continue to bring in players, the reality is it becomes harder to fit Pete into what is a very expensive group of players that we already have.”

“And that’s where we are, and I am being brutally honest.  I don’t like the negotiations.  I don’t like what’s been presented to us.  Listen, maybe that changes, and certainly, I’ll always stay flexible.  If it stays this way, I think we are going to have to get used to the fact that we may have to go forward with the existing players that we have.”

The exact specifics of Scott Boras’ offers to the Mets aren’t known, though the concept floated was a three-year contract with at least one opt-out clause, which would allow Alonso to test free agency again likely as early as next offseason.  The structure is similar to the deals signed by other Boras clients like Matt Chapman, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery last winter, which saw the players each receive a high average annual value within the framework of those shorter-term contracts.

Reports indicated that the Mets’ countered the Alonso camp’s offer with a three-year deal (presumably still with opt-outs) worth $68-$70MM, which would’ve given Alonso a rough AAV of $23MM.  Alonso and his reps rejected that offer and Sammon writes that the Mets then pulled the offer away entirely, leading to the current stalemate between the two sides.  According to Sammon, “it’s unknown if the Mets and Alonso have since re-engaged.  So whether the door is open under similar or different parameters remains a question.”

While some gamesmanship could certainly have been at play in Cohen’s comments today, the Mets owner didn’t mince words in saying  “personally, this has been an exhausting conversation and negotiation,”  Cohen felt that the talks with Alonso were “worse” than even the “tough” negotiations with Juan Soto that ended in Soto’s record $765MM contract.  Ironically, both Soto and Alonso are represented by Boras, though obviously the markets for both sluggers varied greatly.

Even before the offseason began, there was some sense that Alonso (as a power-centric first baseman with slightly declining numbers over the last two seasons) might have to settle for a shorter-term deal with opt outs, so the fact that the talks with the Mets have focused on such contracts isn’t much of a surprise.  What isn’t clear, however, is whether Alonso has other suitors willing to offer more years, or at least higher average annual salaries.  The Giants, Angels, Red Sox, and Blue Jays have all reportedly shown some interest in Alonso, with Toronto seemingly making the most recent push for the first baseman.

In terms of how the Mets might be looking beyond Alonso, Jesse Winker was re-signed last week, filling another hole on the position-player side.  The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote yesterday that the Mets asked both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty to start working out at first base, with Baty also getting some reps as a second baseman.

Vientos has some experience at first base already, and he was already locked into a regular spot in New York’s 2025 lineup whether as a third baseman (if Alonso re-signed) or at first (if Alonso left and another first base-only type wasn’t obtained).  Baty has played almost exclusively at third base during his 169-game MLB career and in the minors, while spending some time at second base and in left field in the minors.  He has never played first base at the professional level, with Baty telling Sammon that he last played the position when he was a high school sophomore.

Nevertheless, Baty views the challenge as “really fun….I’ve always prided myself on being as athletic as I can be.  And I think athleticism, you can show it off at any position whether it be first base, second base, third base, the outfield, whatever it is.”

With a .215/.282/.325 slash line over 602 plate appearances at the MLB level, Baty has yet to establish himself over parts of three seasons in the Show, so adding positional flexibility is at least a good way for the former top prospect to help his chances of making the roster.  Between Baty, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio, the Mets could let those youngsters compete for playing time at third base, ideally with one stepping up to take on the regular starting job.  If none are ready for prime time, the Mets could pursue a corner infielder of some type at the trade deadline, with Vientos perhaps shifting from first to third base depending on who New York might obtain.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty Mark Vientos Pete Alonso Steve Cohen

365 comments

Brett Baty Drawing Trade Interest

By Steve Adams | December 6, 2024 at 11:28am CDT

Mets third baseman Brett Baty is drawing trade interest around the league, and the front office is at least listening to offers on the former top prospect, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post. Baty isn’t being actively shopped but isn’t off limits either, making him an option for clubs seeking affordable (salary-wise) help at the hot corner.

Baty has long looked like a logical trade candidate. He made our list of the top offseason trade candidates heading into the winter, due largely to the emergence of Mark Vientos at third base and the possibility of the Mets re-signing Pete Alonso. In a scenario where Alonso signs elsewhere and Vientos moves across the diamond to first base, there’d still be a path for Baty to claim the everyday gig at the hot corner, but he’s stumbled multiple times when afforded that opportunity in recent seasons. Mets fans will want to check out Puma’s piece for in-depth quotes from scouts around the league, a couple of whom feel Baty is a small adjustment or two away from cementing himself as a big league regular.

Of course, scouting opinions like that only underscore that other teams would love to get their hands on the still-25-year-old Baty. The former No. 12 overall pick (2019) and longtime top prospect has mustered only a .215/.282/.325 line in his first 602 MLB plate appearances, although those have been spread across three seasons. Baty is a .273/.368/.531 hitter in 416 Triple-A plate appearances and has shown improving strike zone awareness even in the majors. He walked at a 9.4% clip last year and cut his strikeout rate from 28% in 2023 down to 24.6% in 2024. Baty fanned in 21.2% of his Triple-A plate appearances and walked at a 12.4% clip in 2024.

Baty still has a minor league option remaining, and he’s under club control for at least another five seasons. That lessens any urgency to deal him, but with the Mets looking to add multiple starting pitchers — even after signing Frankie Montas — there’s a pretty obvious path to using Baty as a trade chip as well.

The Mets’ focus is clearly on Juan Soto at the moment, but the manner in which that market plays out could also impact Baty’s future in Queens. If the Mets don’t reel in Soto, they could become more aggressive on Alonso, Willy Adames or Alex Bregman, any of which would further impede Baty’s path to the Citi Field. Baty has seen some time at second base and in left field, but his natural and likely best position is at third base.

The Blue Jays, Astros, Angels, Mariners, Tigers, Royals and Brewers are among the teams who could look for third base help on the trade market in the weeks to come. (The Yankees could, too, though it’d be more surprising to see a trade of a notable prospect between the two New York teams.) The Mariners’ young starting pitching is the envy of most major league clubs, but president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto now somewhat famously called trading one of his starters “Plan Z” on the offseason to-do list in late September.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty

120 comments

Brett Baty To Miss Roughly 4-6 Weeks Due To Finger Fracture

By Mark Polishuk | August 25, 2024 at 2:43pm CDT

The Mets announced that infield prospect Brett Baty suffered a fracture in his left index finger last Thursday, while playing for Triple-A Syracuse.  Baty was hit by a pitch during a check swing, and the team estimated a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks.  This means that Baty’s 2024 season could well be over, barring some quicker-than-expected healing or a return at the very end of September.

The injury adds to what has been an overall disappointing season for the third baseman, as Baty hit only .229/.306/.327 over 171 plate appearances in the major leagues.  This brings Baty’s career totals to 15 home runs and a .215/.282/.325 slash line in 602 PA and 169 games — about the equivalent of one full season since he made his MLB debut in 2022.  It isn’t a huge sample size, and the 24-year-old Baty would hardly be the first star prospect to have some initial struggles before going on to have a successful big league career.

However, more has been expected from the former 12th overall pick, and Baty’s place as the Mets’ third baseman of the future has now seemingly been filled by Mark Vientos, who has hit tremendously well in his first extended taste of MLB playing time.  Pete Alonso’s possible departure in free agency this winter could conceivably leave first base open so Vientos and Baty could both be part of the 2025 lineup, yet while Vientos seems to be cementing his spot in New York’s future plans, the jury is still out on Baty.  He drew plenty of attention prior to the trade deadline, but there isn’t yet any indication that the Mets are open to moving on from Baty.

While Baty didn’t have much left to prove against minor league pitching, his .262/.358/.528 slash line over 254 Triple-A plate appearances indicated that he was in a groove at the plate, and could’ve potentially carried this good form into a September call-up with the Mets.  It would’ve been interesting to see how Baty’s development would’ve been weighed against the Mets’ efforts to land a wild card spot, yet it now may be a moot point given the finger injury.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Brett Baty

52 comments

Marlins Were Among Teams Interested In Brett Baty

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2024 at 3:30pm CDT

The Marlins were the sport’s most active seller on deadline day, showing willingness to listen on virtually every short-term asset they had while also targeting controllable young players around whom they could potentially build future iterations of the club. One player sought by Miami’s front office was within their own division; the Fish showed “heavy interest” in third base prospect Brett Baty, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post, adding that Miami was one of multiple clubs interested in buying low on the former first-rounder and top-100 prospect.

Selected 12th overall back in 2019, Baty ranked on MLB.com’s top-100 prospects list every year from 2020-23. By the time the 2022-23 seasons rolled around, just about every publication of note ranked Baty among the game’s 50 or so best prospects. He and current third baseman Mark Vientos — second-round pick in 2017 — ranked highly in the Mets’ system throughout their prospect tenures, but it’s Vientos who’s taken the reins at third base and run with the opportunity. In 259 plate appearances this season, the 24-year-old Vientos owns a hearty .280/.336/.547 slash (148 wRC+) with 16 homers and 15 doubles.

The emergence of Vientos naturally led to some speculation regarding Baty in the lead-in to last month’s trade deadline. However, Vientos’ presence alone hardly means there’s no long-term fit on the roster for Baty. He’s seen minor league work at second base and also played left field in the majors. Current second baseman Jeff McNeil is no stranger to the outfield corners and could shift there. The Mets will also see both Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez become free agents at season’s end. Baty is considered a superior defender at third to Vientos, so if Alonso and/or Martinez depart in free agency, Vientos could work in more of a first base/DH role next year (or rotate between the two infield corners and DH). That’d free up third base for Baty — if he hits enough to merit the opportunity.

To this point in his career, Baty simply hasn’t done that. He’s played in parts of three big league seasons but managed only a .215/.282/.325 batting line (73 wRC+) in 602 trips to the plate. However, he was also rushed to the majors in ’22 despite only having six games of Triple-A experience to his credit. And, of course, Baty would hardly be the first prospect to struggle at the plate in his first few MLB looks before hitting his stride in his mid-20s. Even Vientos flailed away at a .205/.255/.354 clip through his first 81 games in 2022-23 before hitting his stride in the majors this year.

It’s worth noting that while he didn’t hit in the majors this season, Baty’s still showing plenty of promise in Syracuse. He’s taken 203 turns at the plate with the Mets’ Triple-A club there and posted a sound .260/.360/.497 line (119 wRC+) with 11 homers, eight doubles, a big 12.8% walk rate and a lower-than-average 18.7% strikeout rate. Baty still has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season as well, so even if he struggles next spring or early in the season, he could still be freely sent to Triple-A for additional refinement.

Ronny Mauricio has missed the entire season due to a torn ACL but will be back in the mix next year. A top prospect himself, he has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the past three minor league seasons while playing shortstop, second base and third base. He recently underwent surgery to clean up some scar tissue in his right knee, per Will Sammon of The Athletic on X, but that isn’t expected to have a noticeable impact on his timeline. Francisco Lindor has shortstop locked up for the foreseeable future but Mauricio could eventually factor into the infield picture at third or second base, depending on other developments around the roster.

The offseason will be interesting with regard to the Mets’ corner mix. They’ll surely receive interest in Baty again while simultaneously exploring the possibility of keeping a franchise cornerstone (Alonso) and a still very productive veteran DH (Martinez). Baty could arguably be used as a trade chip to acquire help on the pitching front — Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana can all become free agents at season’s end — but there’s also a possible long-term role to be had in Queens, especially if Alonso signs elsewhere.

From the Marlins’ vantage point, targeting Baty is perfectly sensible. They don’t have a long-term solution at third base. Jake Burger has handled that spot regularly since being acquired prior to the 2023 deadline, but he’s a defensive liability whose free-swinging, low-OBP approach at the plate leads to wild fluctuations in terms of offensive output. He’s better suited at first base or at designated hitter. Deadline pickup Graham Pauley could get a long-term look at third, but he’s a versatile prospect who could bounce around the diamond in a semi-regular role.

Adding Baty and his remaining five seasons of club control surely holds some appeal, but the Mets are presumably wary of sending Baty to another NL East club and watching him blossom into a regular. Still, the Marlins will have pitching to peddle again this winter (e.g. Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, Ryan Weathers and potentially even former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara), so they could rekindle their interest in Baty. He’ll likely draw interest from both rebuilding teams and others simply looking for a long-term option at the hot corner, but it’s far from a given that the Mets will actually move Baty this offseason.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Miami Marlins New York Mets Brett Baty Ronny Mauricio

52 comments
Load More Posts
Show all
    Top Stories

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Griffin Canning Believed To Have Suffered Achilles Injury

    Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

    Wander Franco Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse

    Mariners Place Rowdy Tellez On Release Waivers

    Max Meyer To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

    Whit Merrifield Announces Retirement

    White Sox Sign Noah Syndergaard To Minor League Deal

    Corbin Carroll Placed On IL With Wrist Fracture

    Hoops Rumors Has The Latest On NBA Draft, Free Agency

    Mets Option Francisco Alvarez

    Reds To Promote Chase Burns For MLB Debut

    Recent

    Mets Trade Donovan Walton To Phillies

    Colin Poche Elects Free Agency

    Trey Mancini Opts Out Of D-Backs Deal

    Padres To Select Eduarniel Nunez

    Brewers’ Connor Thomas To Undergo Elbow Surgery

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Jorge Mateo To Miss 8 To 12 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

    Reds To Sign Buck Farmer To Minor League Deal

    Pirates Trade Hunter Stratton To Braves

    Rockies Designate Sam Hilliard For Assignment, Select Austin Nola

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version