The New York Mets, winless since the trade deadline, have demoted touted third base prospect Brett Baty to Triple-A, the team announced Monday. Outfielder Starling Marte was placed on the injured list with a right groin strain as well. Utility man Jonathan Araúz and outfielder Abraham Almonte were called up in corresponding moves.
Baty, 23, made an 11-game cameo last year and entered this season as one of the top prospects in baseball. The Mets called him up in early April and, after some initial success, Baty has struggled badly the last few months, including hitting .198/.275/.302 in 250 plate appearances since May 9. He's hitting .216/.289/.321 with seven homers in 311 plate appearances overall.
The Mets committed to Baty earlier this year when they shipped veteran Eduardo Escobar to the Angels on June 24. Mark Vientos figures to get the major of the playing time at third base with Baty demoted, though Araúz and Danny Mendick could see time there as well. Our R.J. Anderson ranked Baty the No. 25 prospect in baseball entering the season. Here's his write-up:
Baty, the 12th pick in the 2019 draft, reached the majors for the first time last season, but his stay was short-lived; he appeared in just 11 games before undergoing thumb surgery that ended his campaign in late August. Baty's path back to the Mets big-league lineup is less complicated without Carlos Correa in tow, but he's a potential above-average hitter who lifted the ball and slugged more during his stay last season in Double-A. In other words, he should find a lineup welcoming to his talents, be it in New York or elsewhere.
A top prospect having to go back to the minors for a reset is not the end of the world -- Grayson Rodriguez (Orioles), Miguel Vargas (Dodgers), and Jordan Walker (Cardinals) were all sent to the minors at one point or another this season -- though it does create some uncertainty moving forward. Will the Mets give Baty the third base job next season? Or bring in a veteran stopgap?
There is potentially a service-time component to Baty's demotion. If he spends the rest of the season in the minors, he will fall just short of the 172 days of service time needed for a full season, pushing his free agency back from the 2028-29 offseason to the 2029-30 offseason. That said, it would be difficult to argue the demotion is not without merit given his performance.
The Mets are 50-61 this season and 0-6 since the Aug. 1 trade deadline, when they traded away several notable veterans, including high-priced aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
