PHOENIX — The question of what to do with Brett Baty has come up for the Mets several times over the last few years. With Jesse Winker appearing placed on the injured list Monday with an oblique strain, the Mets called up Baty from Triple-A Syracuse.
With an oblique injury typically taking some time, Baty should have some runway to show that the improvements he made in April weren’t a fluke.
However, this time, the question of what to do with the 25-year-old second/third baseman might not be an easy one to answer. The Mets might have to determine whether he fits into their future plans or whether he’ll be better off with a change of scenery.
Baty was solid for the Mets before being sent down to Triple-A two weeks ago to accommodate the returns of Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez. The Mets’ 2019 first-round pick hit .296 with a .922 OPS over his last 31 plate appearances in the big leagues, handling second and third base well defensively. Baty was limited to only three games in Syracuse as he dealt with a toe injury, but the injury sounds minor.
After a slow start, Baty found himself getting in better counts and hitting better pitches. He was hitting balls hard as well, and once he started trusting himself at the plate, the results came. Defensively, he showed improved fundamentals and good instincts. He was, by all accounts, playing like a big leaguer when he was sent back to Triple-A.
With Baty hitting left-handed, the Mets can easily use him in place of the left-handed Winker as a platoon DH, and use him periodically in the infield. McNeil could also benefit from Winker’s absence as a left-handed hitter. The Mets could use Baty at second and DH McNeil. There is a lot of versatility and options with Baty. His presence also allows the Mets to use Luisangel Acuña in center field to spell Tyrone Taylor, something the team has talked about.
But there is also the question of whether or not he can sustain his performance.
This is Baty’s last option year. In the past, the Mets have been able to send him down to Triple-A to regain his confidence and work on his swing. But Baty doesn’t want to have to keep going back to Syracuse. No young player wants to continually return to the minor leagues. This time, it was simply a roster crunch, but the goal is, obviously, to play so well the team wouldn’t even think of taking your bat out of the lineup.
The Mets have received trade interest for Baty in the past. If he starts performing at the level the Mets hope he’s capable of playing, and plays at that level consistently, they may find some willing trade partners come July. However, if Winker is out past July then it would make the decision much easier.
Of course, the Mets could always decide that it’s better to have a player that makes the team more versatile, especially if he’s playing as well as he did in April. Baty has managed to surprise at times in the past, so maybe this time, it really is different. Maybe this time, he really is ready.
