Could the New York Mets trade this player to the A's?

Jason Burke | Nov 4, 2024

May 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (22) at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The A's have very specific needs this offseason, and they have basically one way to address those needs: trades. With the organization relocating up north to Sacramento to share a minor-league ballpark with the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A affiliate, it's going to be a tough sell to get free agents to sign on with the A's for the next few years. With that in mind, the New York Mets have a piece that could fit right in with the A's offseason roster puzzle.

MLB Trade Rumors put together a list of the 35 most likely trade candidates this winter, and among them was third baseman Brett Baty, who slotted in at No. 26. Their reasoning is that the debate between Baty or Mark Vientos seems to have been decided at third, and now there is not room for Baty on the roster. They also mention that a decision on whether or not to trade Baty could have to wait until Pete Alonso's future is decided. If he signs elsewhere, Vientos could handle first while Baty could have a road to the hot corner again.

Third base is also a position of need for the A's, and Baty, the No. 21 prospect in baseball as recently as 2023, would be a solid addition to the club in their quest to reach .500 in 2025.

Baty, soon-to-be 25, has spent parts of the last three seasons in the big leagues, getting his longest look in 2023 where he batted .212 with a .275 OBP and a 66 OPS+. He swatted nine homers and struck out 28% of the time. The bat is what has kept Baty from truly breaking out at the MLB level with a career average of .215 with a .282 on-base and a 70 OPS+.

Defensively Baty has been solid however, earning two Outs Above Average over at Baseball Savant in 50 games played this past season. The A's were one of the worst fielding teams in 2024, so a glove that is slightly above average would be an upgrade for them. A's third basemen also racked up a 79 wRC+ (100 is league average), which leaves room for improvement as well. While Baty may not have the track record with the bat, he would be getting a change of scenery and be playing half of his games in a minor-league park, which could boost his numbers a touch.

Making this trade would be a little bit of a risk for the A's, since Baty is still an unknown at the big-league level, but his value is also a little depressed, which would make now the perfect time to pounce. He may not be a sure thing, but he has tangible upside to go with his glove.

Baseball Trade Values doesn't put much of a price tag on Baty's services, but it's also fairly unlikely that the Mets will just give him away. If New York is looking for a prospect return, it's tough to see the A's moving on from one of their top-10 prospects in this deal, but someone like Daniel Susac, a former first-rounder could be available. Rule 5 candidate Cooper Bowman could be another prospect in the mix. Their trade values are wildly different, but the Mets valuation of Baty is unknown, too.

If New York is looking for immediate impact, Miguel Andujar, an established, league-average bat could be surplus for the A's with Esteury Ruiz returning from injury and prospect Colby Thomas nearing his MLB debut. Seth Brown could also be had in a deal if the Mets were looking for a lefty left fielder instead.

The A's wouldn't be willing to give up a big long-term piece in a potential deal, but they'd certainly entertain a variety of permutations to get this thing done.