Yankees, Mets blockbuster trade idea sends 25-year-old former top prospect to Bronx.
Yankees, Mets blockbuster trade idea sends 25-year-old former top prospect to Bronx image
The third base position is an obvious hole in the otherwise-exciting 2025 New York Yankees starting lineup.
With Gleyber Torres gone and Jazz Chisholm Jr. shifting to second base, the Yankees are left with two unappealing options at the hot corner: D.J. LeMahieu, whose days as a batting champion are in the past, and Oswaldo Cabrera, who’s never proven to be much of a hitter.
Though time is running short to add additional players to the open competition, the Yankees may still seek alternatives to LeMahieu and Cabrera via trade.
Across town, the New York Mets’ re-signing Pete Alonso left former top prospect Brett Baty with virtually no path to playing time. And after three seasons of unsuccessful call-ups, it may be time to grant Baty a change of scenery.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer listed Baty as a possible trade candidate before Opening Day, while linking the Yankees as a speculative fit for the erstwhile third baseman.
“Baty now figures to start 2025 in the minors, which is too bad given his profile. He was regarded as an elite prospect as recently as 2023, and he’s still only 25,” Rymer wrote.
“Teams were reportedly calling about Baty even before the Mets re-upped with Alonso. Assuming he’s even more available now, the Yankees, Brewers and Cubs are three contenders that ought to have interest.”
Baty owns a paltry .607 career OPS in the majors, but he’s consistently smashed minor-league pitching. He had an .854 OPS, including 16 home runs, in just 62 games last season with Triple-A Syracuse.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Baty would win a starting job upon arriving with the Yankees. He hasn’t yet proven himself as a big-league hitter, so he’d have to noticeably outshine LeMahieu and Cabrera in camp to win the job on anything near a full-time basis.
However, if we’re looking at upside, Baty likely carries the day among that trio. And depending on how desperate the Mets are to get rid of him, the Yankees might be able to snag him for the prospect equivalent of a lottery ticket.
