Former Mets Top Prospect Tabbed 'Most Likely' Trade Candidate This Winter

Will the New York Mets consider trading away one of their former top prospects this offseason?

May 26, 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

If you had told New York Mets fans during Spring Training that one of their team's young third base prospects would emerge as a superstar during the 2024 postseason, nearly all of them would have thought you were talking about 24-year-old Brett Baty.

However, it has been another 24-year-old: Mark Vientos. Vientos won the Mets' starting job at third base during the season and has been a breakout player throughout these playoffs. Now he seems poised to become the Mets' third baseman of the future.

Baty, on the other hand, spent most of the season in Triple-A and isn't on the Mets' NLCS roster. This is largely why Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer called Baty the Mets' most likely offseason trade candidate in an October 18 article.

"Brett Baty looked like the Mets' third baseman of the future once upon a time, but it seems fair to say Mark Vientos beat him to the punch," Rymer wrote.

"It's therefore understandable that teams were calling about Baty during the summer, and you can bet the phone will be ringing again this winter. He is, after all, still just 24 and only a year removed from ranking 21st on MLB.com's prospect rankings.

"It would certainly be in the Mets' interests to shop Baty for starting pitching. Because with Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and José Quintana set to hit free agency, three big holes are about to open up in the rotation," Rymer added.

Given how Baty is still young and could develop into a solid MLB player, perhaps the Mets would prefer to keep him around. Although this season might be the perfect time to maximize his trade value.