In 129 PA with the Mets, Mark Vientos has a .925 OPS and a 165 OPS+. He’s done it with power, as 15 of his 35 hits have gone for extra-bases, including 9 HR. While he’s unlikely to finish with an OPS north of .900 – it does seem like he belongs in the majors. Which, of course, brings up the issue of what to do with Brett Baty. The easy thing to do right now is … nothing. Let Baty get consistent ABs in Syracuse and let Vientos continue to play and hopefully mash in the majors. Then, if they’re unable to come to terms on a new deal with Pete Alonso, they can slide Vientos to first base and give Baty another shot at third base in 2025. Or, if they keep Alonso, they could have Vientos move into the DH slot. Or, if they re-sign J.D. Martinez, they can keep Baty as a defensive replacement/utility player. There are a lot of options.
But here’s one more: The Mets can use him as a trade chit at the deadline.
How much trade value does he have? It’s hard to say. He certainly couldn’t be the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal. But he could be the second player in that type of move. Or he could be the primary piece in a smaller transaction. You could look to move Baty in a challenge trade, looking to match up with a team that has a similar type of under-performing player at a position that the Mets need help. Or perhaps you could trade him for a rental, the equivalent of another team’s Alonso – a player set to hit free agency.
Would you be happy – if the Mets had the same record as the White Sox – if they traded Alonso for the equivalent of Baty? My guess is no, because Alonso still has some tread left on his tires, even if not enough to be worth a 7-year deal. But what if Alonso was older? How much would that change the equation? Quite a bit would be my guess.
Here’s my proposal: The Mets trade Baty at the deadline for a starting pitcher, one who has a 148 ERA+ over his last nine games. Now, this pitcher is a free agent at the end of the year. But he has experience pitching in big markets, including both coasts. He’s a former CY Award winner and has drawn MVP votes in seven different seasons. He’s also appeared in 30 different postseason games and has four starts in the World Series, with a 3.26 ERA in those games.
That pitcher is Max Scherzer, who just came off the IL and made his first start of 2024, where he threw five shutout innings while allowing just one hit. Scherzer was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA for Texas after it acquired him at last year’s trade deadline. He got off to a tough start last year with the Mets but in his last 14 games before the trade, he had a 3.60 ERA. So, in his final 22 games last year, Scherzer was 11-4 with a 3.46 ERA. Throw in this year’s start and he’s 12-4 with a 3.33 ERA in his last 23 games. Wouldn’t you rather see that guy make starts for the 2024 Mets than Tylor Megill?
And just for grins, the Mets should make the Rangers pick up salary in the deal, too.
Think I’d rather go after Jack Flaherty.
I like Baty and still believe in him. And I like the idea of moving Vientos to 1b/dh next season and using that Alonso money on Corbin Burnes.
Or keep Vientos at 3B and Martinez at DH, and sign both Burnes and Alonso.
And trade Parada for Flaherty.
Doubtful that Parada alone would net a major league starter to begin with. Trading Parada right now would be selling low on him.
Seems like this is the perfect time to trade Baty. He is mashing down in Syracuse and as long as he keeps doing that another team would be interested in taking him given that he’s under control for long period of time. I look to Mauricio as the second base solution next year and think Vientos has done at least an adequate job on defense as well a definitely spurring on the Mets offense I like the talk of trading for Flaherty from the Tigers, even though he would only be good through the remainder of this year and then he’s not under contract. I am not in favor of bringing back Max Scherzer but when you realize that we’re paying his salary anyway it’s like almost getting a body for free. If we are going to compete after the trade deadline, then we need to trade for a solid end of the bullpen arm.
On an unrelated note, when you see that Alonso at some point was talking about Aaron Judge money, and that Aaron Judge now has 80 RBI and it’s not even a half season, you realize what a dreamer Alonso is.
Can we sweep the Bronx Bombers tonight? That would be awesome and get us to .500.
First, Baty is not mashing in Syracuse right now. He’s gone cold over his last ten games or so. Second, we don’t yet know what Mauricio’s level of readiness will be next season. Not only because of the injury, but because of his lack of MLB experience. Yes, what Mauricio did his first few weeks in the majors was exciting. But he only did it for under three weeks. He then struggled a bit over the last ten days. Final OPS: .643. FInal OPS+ 79. Let me be clear: I am not dissing Mauricio. I think he has better tools than Baty or Vientos., and can turn out to be a very good player. But… how many times did Vientos go back & forth before he started to click? How many times has/will Baty? We can’t simply assume that M R-Mo will be ready for a roster spot, let alone a starting role for next year just yet.
I think he heard you. Another home run today, back to back games, 7 in 63 at bats. the AAA body of work is impressive you have to admit.
What he has done in 63 ABs is irrelevant. Because 63 is not long enough to prove anything. That he can hit that level hard is not the issue. We know he can. The issue is can he can he make adjustments and recover quickly when the league eventually learns how to slow or shut him down.
Even if this is the end of his cool down, the ledger still reads that he hit for 15 games, cooled off for 10.
just hit his 2nd home run of the day.
His OPS in AAA from 6/15 through yesterday was .793. I’m not sure I’d call that cold. His AVG is down but so is his BABIP which is just .143. If that’s cold, I’ll take that any day.
I overstated when I said ten games….It was seven… I had done the math a couple of days ago and thought it had reached ten by now. From 6/16 through 6/23, his OPS was .667. His 1-for-4 yesterday was a HR that could have been random occurrence, or could have been the end of the cold streak. His performance today ( 3-for-5 with two HRs) certainly looks like the streak has ended. I stand corrected.
I would be happy getting a Baty type prospect for three months of a 1.0 bWAR player. In 296 plate appearance, Pete Alonso has accumulated 1.0 bWAR. Wow. Come on Pete, stop thinking $$$.
I also believe in Baty. No, I don’t want Scherzer, nor do the Mets need him. Or do they need Flanerty. They need Senga, Scott and Butto back in the majors and to clear out space. They need to give Hamel and Vasil time in the bullpen, and Sproat needs to move to AAA.
They don’t need Scherzer. But they do need somebody, and it should be a FOTR type. The idea that the trio you mentioned can carry a team deep into the playoffs is possible, but its a stretch. I’m not saying to trade Baty for it (though I would not object to it). But if they want to make a meaningful playoff run, rather than just a gesture or a half-baked, random stab at it, then they need more SP.
You really believe that six starts at a level is enough to declare Sproat ready for AAA? Sorry. Far too many times that we’ve seen players do well for 6 or 8 starts, then suddenly get hit hard for the next few or 4, or even 8 starts. Sproat has already moved very quickly. There’s no value in overdoing that. Give it another 5 or 6 weeks. If he’s still dominating in early August, then promote him.
I would rather not see Megill or Scherzer starting games for the Mets for the rest of the season. Let’s see what Scott and Butto can bring during an extended stint in the rotation. I think the reality is that this rotation, outside of maybe just Severino at this point, is not completely reliable and therefore shouldn’t be considered stable. Petersen is as frustrating and Megill – he’s just receiving a ridiculous amount of run support.
I’ve been hot and cold on Baty but he is finally getting an extended stay in AAA and he’s undeniably raking. Let him stay there until rosters expand, barring injuries.
I love how they ambushed Cole last night. I’ve never liked the guy, for no good reasons, but I am digging that the Mets made a quick slaw out of him.
I agree in seeing more of Butto and Scott. That said, if the Mets want to make a legitimate run in (and not just to) the playoffs, they need more SP. Not Scherzer. but someone, and someone at or near the top of the rotation.
Sorry to be a broken record. But Baty is not “undeniably raking”. He was raking – for a few weeks. He stopped raking 10 days ago, and we have yet to see how long that will last. He is not anymore. And that is exactly what we needed to see him do: struggle. Then make the adjustments and recover. Because that is something he: Never had to do through double-A, was never in triple-A long enough to see if he could do it there or not, and clearly is not [yet] able to do at the major league level.
Fair point about Baty (and Metsense too.). Raking is an overstatement. I’m going more off headlines and highlights and those can be misleading. Regardless, I would like to see him stay in Syr for much longer. He does not make sense for the Mets as the roster is configured. He’s only a 3B/DH at this point too. To toss him into the OF or at 2B would be a bad idea and really not fair to him. I bet once they feel confident that Vientos can hang in the majors that they move Baty to the OF and give him a lot of reps at 2B when Acuna is in CF.
I’m not sure what makes you think Texas is ready to trade Scherzer. Despite an injury-riddled rotation, they’re holding their own and expecting to get some pitching back as the season goes on.
I’m really struggling to understand what makes you think Texas wants Baty in such a trade when their current 3B has a 149 OPS+, is only 26, under club control through 2029, and not even arbitration eligible yet.
No thanks on Max. I’ll hold Baty unless he is part of a deal for a longer term piece, not a rental, so he’s on the table (like virtually anyone) in the offseason.
Vientos is a keeper no matter where he plays.
If Martinez plays like this for the whole season, then they should consider bringing him back in the off-season. Great production and reasonable salary.
Ideally, they need a top of the rotation starter If they are in contention at the trading deadline. It doesn’t have to be a rental player either. Depending on the control of the player they can use one or two of their minor league players .Stearns know what he is doing with evaluations of players.
Butto and Scott should be promoted and the rest of the of the back- end starters should be transformed into multi inning relievers , Optioned or traded .
Re: mets starting pitching…
Carlos Mendoza said yesterday that the Mets are possibly going to bring Scott back up for the upcoming stretch of games on 17 consecutive days. If they do, he would be a 6th starter (for now), and Megill will be kept up for “at least the next time through”. Megill should’ve been gone after that last start, IMO. But the fact that Mendoza is only conceding the next time through, and not the entire 17 games suggests(??) that he is at least on thin ice with the Mets and may not get a free pass for much longer.
I have noticed that Mendoza offers a very short leash.
While Mendoza is in on the conversations, and may (or may not) be given a lot of weight, he doesn’t actually make the decision, Stearns does.
And frankly, giving Megill yet another start at this juncture doesn’t seem like a short leash to me. It represents a slow and deliberate build-up to a decision. (Much like the that the moves with Wendle, Narvaez, and Baty were, IMO, slow and deliberate and should have been made 2 to 3 weeks sooner than they were).
Certainly Mendoza is a part of the conversation. Stearns was clear that he wants “a partnership” with his manager. Meaning, the GM will tell him who he would like to get playing time, and he can tell the GM which players he would like to see removed.
Drew Smith to the 15-day IL with elbow strain. Ty Adcock has been called up to replace him.
If the Mets want to get to the World Series and win it, they need a major improvement in their top three starting pitchers. Senga and Severino are fine, but they don’t have anyone on their roster or in AAA who should start a Game 3. They are not going to be able to trade for a suitable starter without giving away a lot of their prospect capital. Therefore, they ought to sign Trevor Bauer. He was found not guilty, has paid his dues, and is a top-of-the-line pitcher. There is talk in the sports media of teams looking at him. Someone is going to sign him. It ought to be the Mets.
No, definitely not! At this point, he would be a distraction. According to the media, the clubhouse in May was not focused. After a team meeting, they got focused. They should not want I distraction because they have come so far in June.
Well, you can’t play it both ways. If you want them to make a serious and deep run in the playoffs, then they need to add a frontline starter. So they either compromise on this, or they compromise by giving away trade capital that they cannot really afford to give.
Update from Anthiony DiComo: Drew Smith likely to need TJ surgery.
Not a big impact in the short term, as Smith was stuck on the IL until July 10, or so, anyway. Diaz will be back before then, and Reid-Foley might be back by mid July-ish.
Yesterday, I asked the question: When was the last time that we had a Mets lineup with no real weak links? McNeil may (and I emphasize “may”) be coming out of his season-long funk, so even with Marte out, this could be one of those lineups.
The last one?
Maybe it was 2017: d’Arnaud, Duda, Walker, Reyes, Flores, Cespedes, Lagares, and Bruce.
But 2000 was better, overall: Piazza, Zeile, Alfonso, Bordick, Ventura, Agbayani, Payton, and Bell.
How about late in 2015 – after the Cespedes trade, after the Conforto recall, after Wright and TDA were activated from the DL. Weak spot was Flores and he was about league average.
Good call, Brian! I liked that lineup with an INF of Duda (oWAR 2.5), Murphy (1.9), Flores (1.8) and Wright (1.4), an OF of Conforto (1.1), Cespedes (2.8) and Granderson (3.8), and d’Arnaud (2.1) at C.