Mets Former Top Prospect Could Be Headed To Royals In Proposed Blockbuster
At some point this winter, the Kansas City Royals will have to take some more big swings. The question, though, is what form those swings will take.
The Royals have made two key moves to this point in the offseason: re-signing Michael Wacha and trading for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer. Those were moves that addressed obvious needs, but Kansas City still is by no means a guaranteed World Series contender.
Because they are a small-market team, the Royals likely won't make too many more big signings this winter, especially given the inflated contract values we've seen dished out. That could mean more trades are in order.
The Kansas City front office has professed their desire to land a middle-of-the-order bat, but what if the trade prices prove to be just as high as those in free agency? Could the Royals take a swing at a buy-low candidate once thought to have middle-of-the-order upside instead?
Max Rieper of Royals Review recently named New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty, a down-on-his-luck former top prospect, as an intriguing trade candidate for the Royals this winter.
"Baty is just 25 years old and isn’t yet eligible for arbitration, so he is young and cheap with some upside left. He still has an option year left as well, giving a team some roster flexibility if they were to acquire him," Rieper said.
"After a playoff appearance last year, the Royals should be motivated to look for more established players that can help them win now. But Baty does provide upside and years of club control, and at his salary they can dedicate payroll to fill other needs."
The Mets should be more than open to exploring trades for Baty, given the success of Mark Vientos at third base in 2024. Baty has a .215/.282/.325 career slash line at the major-league level, spanning 169 games across the last three seasons.
If the Royals can unlock the version of Baty that torched the minors to the tune of an .889 career OPS, they'd be in fantastic shape. It's a risky acquisition in terms of what the young slugger has proven (or not proven), but it should also be a low-cost move if they decide to make it.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org