The Mets post August 1st roster has been a revolving door as the organization has yet to find the right mix of talent to replace all those dealt away. One of the players expected to be a staple on the roster for the remainder of the season will instead be heading back to the Minor Leagues.
During today’s pregame press conference, Mets manager Buck Showalter announced that the blue and orange are optioning rookie third baseman Brett Baty to Triple-A Syracuse.
“Just a little timeout, kind of a take a breath, ” Showalter said after being asked about why now is the time to send down Baty.“Mental, emotional, just kind of let him work on some things without the day-to-day. But I think Brett, we know it’s in the best interest of his development.
“I’ve had a lot of young players who have gone through this without doing a lot of name-dropping. I think it’s in his best interest to go down, take a breath and get back to what he was doing when he first got here. It’s a tough place to do that.”
After making his Major League debut last September, Baty began 2023 in Triple-A, but after just nine games, the Texas native returned to the Major Leagues and immediately made an impact, hitting a home run in his first at-bat.
Baty performed well enough early in the season for the Mets to feel comfortable dealing away Eduardo Escobar to the Angels in late June.
Since the Mets essentially went all in on Baty, the 23-year-old has struggled, particularly in the second half. In 21 second-half games, the Texas native has slashed .130/.211/.261 with two home runs and six RBIs. In addition, Baty has yet to record a hit in August.
What does this mean for the Mets?
This move may surprise the Mets’ faithful, but with his struggles, it may just be what Baty needs to be the player the organization believes he can be. Hopefully, Baty will be able to rebound for Triple-A Syracuse and return to Major Leagues before the season ends.
With Baty gone, expect Mark Vientos to play more third base, as the Florida native will likely be getting his first proper chance at consistent Major League playing time.