Teams are asking about Brett Baty this winter. That’s not to say the Mets are in a hurry to trade the third baseman, but the outside interest is understandable given Baty’s potential upside and what the team’s roster could become by spring training.
The dominoes will begin falling soon, starting with Juan Soto’s decision (most likely within the next week) on where he will play the next 12-plus seasons. If it’s the Mets — with a contract that surpasses $600 million, and maybe even $700 million — does that mean moving on from Pete Alonso, who is pursuing his own free-agency?
The Mets seem to have a third baseman for the foreseeable future in Mark Vientos, but if Alonso were to leave that would open the possibility of shifting Vientos to first base, with Baty and perhaps Ronny Mauricio in the mix at third base.
And if Alonso stays? It’s harder to envision a future with the Mets for the 25-year-old Baty, who won the starting third base job last season in spring training only to relinquish it after struggling into mid-May.