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Mar 22, 2024

Mets option Brett Baty to Triple

Anthony DiComo NEW YORK -- When the Mets promoted third baseman Brett Baty to the Majors in mid-April, the consensus around the team was that he had little left to prove in Triple-A. But several

Anthony DiComo

NEW YORK -- When the Mets promoted third baseman Brett Baty to the Majors in mid-April, the consensus around the team was that he had little left to prove in Triple-A. But several months of struggles have changed the equation. The Mets on Monday optioned Baty back to Triple-A Syracuse, where they hope he can correct an increasing list of issues.

The decision headlined a slew of roster moves for the Mets before their 11-2 win over the Cubs at Citi Field. The team also placed outfielder Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain and recalled position players Jonathan Araúz and Abraham Almonte.

“Just a little timeout [for Baty] to kind of take a breath,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s as much a mental, emotional [break] to let him work on some things. … We know it’s in the best interest of his development.”

The Mets’ first-round Draft pick in 2019, Baty debuted last August amidst significant hype, justifying it with a home run on his first Major League swing. Yet Baty did not make this year’s Opening Day roster and, following a hot start when the Mets called him up in April, he quickly began slumping.

From May 3 through Monday, Baty was batting .195/.271/.297 in 73 games. Those numbers became even more pronounced in late July, as Baty produced a .393 OPS over his final 16 games before the demotion. He also went 61 straight plate appearances without a homer and proved inconsistent defensively, most notably dropping a pop-up on July 16.

“Everybody wants to say it’s New York or whatever, a big market,” Showalter said. “I think it’s more just that everything you do here can snowball. You’re never as good as people will try to make you feel like. You’re never as bad. It’s up to us to stay in reality when we’re dealing with these guys.”

Physically, the Mets are confident the 23-year-old Baty still can be a successful big league third baseman. He produced a .950 OPS with Double-A Binghamton last season before earning a call to Syracuse and, eventually, the Majors. That stay lasted only briefly, as Baty tore the UCL in his right thumb and missed the rest of the year. But Baty impressed in big league camp this spring and, when he hit .400 with a 1.386 OPS over his first nine games with Syracuse, the Mets made the quick decision to promote him.

Now, they’re making a more difficult decision to demote him.

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“We think this is what’s best for the Mets,” Showalter said. “What’s best for Brett is what’s best for the Mets for the time being. Just because something’s delayed doesn’t mean it’s denied. I’m not going to start rattling off all these names of multiple, really good players with long Major League careers I’ve had who went through this -- sometimes two or three times. It’s just hopefully a temporary thing. I told him he controls it.”

With Baty sidelined, his friend and longtime Minor League teammate Mark Vientos is slated to receive an extended run at third base, his natural position, which Vientos has played only sparingly in the Majors. Vientos started at DH for Monday’s series opener against the Cubs while Danny Mendick played third, homering for the first time since he tore the ACL in his right knee while with the White Sox last June.

“I’ve hit homers in the big leagues, but it’s been a while,” Mendick said. “Just the atmosphere in the big leagues, it’s different. There’s really not a better feeling.”

The Mets should have plenty of playing time to go around both in the infield and the outfield, given Marte’s return to the IL after just three days on the active roster. Originally sidelined due to a series of migraines, Marte is now dealing with a strained right groin. It’s the same muscle he had surgically repaired over the offseason.

Marte, who is under guaranteed contract for another two seasons and $41.5 million, plans to seek an opinion from the surgeon who performed that operation.

“I don’t think he’s at 100 percent,” Showalter said. “I think we need to get our arms around it and get him back to that again.”