APRIL 17: New York officially recalled Baty and reliever Edwin Uceta. To clear active roster space, they’ve optioned Jose Butto and placed outfielder Tim Locastro on the 10-day injured list with back spasms.
APRIL 16: The Mets are planning to recall top prospect Brett Baty, per SNY’s Andy Martino. A corresponding move will be required to make room for Baty on the active roster, though no such move has been announced as of yet. Tim Healey of Newsday notes that Baty will not be active for today’s game against the A’s, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post noting that he’s set to join the club in LA tomorrow.
Baty, 23, is a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport. He made his MLB debut in an 11-game stint with the Mets last year, though he struggled to a .184/.244/.342 slash line in that brief call-up. The club initially optioned him to Triple-A ahead of Opening Day, where he had only six games of experience coming into the season, but in 9 games with Syracuse to open the season, Baty has looked to be clearly above what the Triple-A level has to offer, slashing .400/.500/.886 with five homers and nearly as many walks (7) as strikeouts (9). That phenomenal performance has continued a stellar track record as a hitter all throughout the minors for Baty, who sports a .903 OPS in 1,075 minor league plate appearances.
A third baseman by trade, Baty likely stands to benefit from Eduardo Escobar’s slow start to the 2023 season, as the 34 year old veteran has slashed just .114/.167/.227 to open the 2023 campaign. That being said, Baty has begun getting reps in the outfield in recent years in the minor leagues, leaving open the possibility he could also factor into the outfield mix alongside Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte. Daniel Vogelbach and Tommy Pham are currently in a timeshare at DH, where Baty could also receive at-bats.
Per Matt Eddy of Baseball America, Baty will be retroactively credited with service time for his time in Triple-A as he was on optional assignment for fewer than 20 days. That leaves Baty poised to receive a full year of service time in 2023, while also making the Mets eligible to receive an additional draft pick should Baty qualify via thr Prospect Promotion Incentive by placing in the top three of NL Rookie of the Year voting or top five of NL MVP voting.
Great news.
Unless you’re Edwardo Escobar. 😉
This move could definitely drive the Mets Baty!
Surprising. Unless there’s a legitimate injury to a position player
Tell me you don’t know what you’re talking about without telling me you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Bill. Not the least bit surprising. Baty beat Escobar out in Spring training, the Mets were going to give Escobar one last chance, he failed to get off to a good start, and this is the obvious result.
Play Baty every day until he shows you he doesn’t belong.. I don’t think that day will come until sometime in 2035.
Gary Sanchez likes your screen name.
In fact, he literally would like a second catcher, 60 feet behind him, on the field, so he doesn’t have to retrieve those pesky passed balls!
All the best!
@Bill, Escobar is hitting .114
It’s surprising because it’s not the way the Mets usually operate. They have a long track record of holding on to overpaid veterans. And doing it in April, in the midst of a west coast trip makes it even more surprising
The Mets cut Robinson Cano loose after 43 plate appearances in 12 games with a .195 batting average last year.
Escobar has 49 plate appearances over 13 games with a .114 batting average this year.
Let some other team hope he can get his act together.
Nah, this really is not surprising at all in the Steve Cohen era.
Batting average is a useless statistic.
@Rare, so let’s ignore his BA. What is Escobar doing well at the plate??
@raregokus I mean, come on man . The guy has a 7 OPS+, meaning he’s 93% worse than the league average batter. Sure, in some cases, BA is the last stat you want to use, but he also has a sub-.2oo OBP and sub-.250 SLG. There’s also only ever been 15 instances where a player had a .150 or lower AVG, and OPS+ of 50 or greater (min. 100 PA). The highest is Frank Fernandez in 1971 with a .136/.317/.313 and an 86 OPS+.
Ownership and leadership just changed. You can’t compare behavior like that.
Analytics are useless applications of statistics.
@Bronx even if u dismiss analytics, Escobar has sucked by traditional statistics as well.
I don’t dismiss stats, or analytics, or whatever they are calling it today. It’s the over reliance on those things that is annoying. The eye test still works. And often, in baseball, it works better.
Well if u believe Eacobar is playing well I suggest u make an appointment with your eye doctor….
Especially when it’s .114.
Yours is a useless reply.
He really has a 7 OPS+?
I didn’t think that was POSSIBLE.
I never said Escobar is playing well.
Maybe you need an eye doctor.
Or second grade remedial reading.
Then what are you trying to defend or are you just arbitrarily here to argue with people???
Grow up.
I remember Frank Fernandez.
Those were mighty lean years.
I agree that Escobar has sucked sour buttermilk. I was responding to the statement that said ‘batting average is a useless statistic…’
When a guy is batting .114, I’d say that’s a VERY useful statistic. It means a guy needs to sit, or be rid of.
@bronxmac77 the eye test…..hmmm…..no, eyes can be deceived, the math in analytics is provable. Can Baty field? Can Baty hit?
I remember as a kid seeing highlights of an on base machine who would snag a couple of gold gloves by the end of his career, and end up in cooperstown.
As a high school player, the Red Sox scout noted “Range + Hands not too good. Does not have flexible actions for SS. Bat slow + also falls back at plate even against RHP, Rigid bat mechanics. Needs a lot of help with bat”……….the Red Sox drafted him……the eye test failed badly on Wade Boggs. Not saying Baty will be good or not, just questioning the validity of “the eye test”
cbssports.com/mlb/news/photo-wade-boggs-scouting-r…
No one factor tells all.
But if you can look at a player and see he’s scuffling, and doesn’t have the tools or talent to work his way out of it, you don’t need a spreadsheet to telk you otherwise.
And by any chance, are you a Dick Allen fan?
I never saw him play, wasn’t born yet, but looking at 1960’s stats, I think he’s an HOFer, and when I saw an old A’s uniform with Wampum on the back thought it was awesome.
Yep. I think he wore WAMPUM 60, ot something like that, and it was his High School class. Dick was unbelievably strong. Whipped a 40 ounce bat through the strike zone like it was a whiffle bat. Yet also hit for average. He definitely walked to a beat of a different drummer, and definitely dealt with ridiculous racism. But a HOF talent. Funny, the writers didn’t like him, but all his teammates did. What does that tell you?
@Bronx, my bad I thought u were the one who said batting average was useless and then also dismissed analytics. I see u recognized and pointed out his abysmal BA is horrible.
Kind of sad to, when he was with DBacks and MIN he seemed to have some upside with bat especially with his versatility in the field. Looking back at his stats I guess alot of that cones from the juiced ball 2019.
I agree with you boss.
No sweat. I will say, the way the replies stack up, it is hard to figure out who is talking to whom.
No worries, boss. Keep up the chatter.
So small sample size only applies when? If Escobar returns to his norm, they will be paying him to be hot for another team. Maybe SFG will let him bat behind Ruf!
@Stymeed, if it was just this season I’d agree it would b a rash decision. He was rather lousy most of last season and 2nd half of 2021. At this point its a decent sample size of regression and that his bloated 2019 was likely more attributed to the juiced ball than being his norm. With what the Mets have invested in this current team trying maximize value out of him would b trying to pinch pennies while burning dollars.
Oakland would prob take him
Agreed. Even to modestly paid veterans, as with Ruf.
going to be a very very good player
Can’t wait to see what he can bring, kids swing reminds me so much of John Olerud.
I’m impressed anyone remembers Olerud that well.
Showing my age there, Olerud was one of my favorite Mets at that time. Beautiful sweet swing, always effortless.
Olerud still holds the Mets single season Batting Record, .354 in 1998. And he flirted with .400 around mid-year until he came back down to earth. Really sweet swing.
I think he had a similar year with Toronto. Quiet, underrated player.
@Cohen’s_W. Agreed. Sweet swinging Johnny O could also pitch. There’s a two way player award named after him in the conference he played in. PAC 12, I think. Like the Yanks did with Ruth, Toronto chose to use him as a position player only.
Favorite Olerud moment. A day or so prior to the 1993 All Star game in Baltimore there was a batting practice open to the general public. I was there. Every batter was there to launch home run balls. That’s everyone except Olerud. With hardly any fan fare, he steps in the batter’s box. JO strokes 3 one hop line drives to left, then to center then to right. Again, with little fan fare, casually strolls back to the dugout. Dude! By the way, he batted 3rd in the line up in that All Star game. Dude! Dude!
@Cohen’sWallet, Even though he was only with the Mets for a few years, he was also my favorite player at the time. Highest single season batting average in Mets history. (.354 in 1998)
When we were you born 2005? Who doesn’t remember John Olerud? Pretty distinctive as he’s the only player to wear a helmet while fielding…
Who /whom are you addressing?
See you in LA tomorrow.
Excited to see what he and Mauricio could potentially do. They both have been mashing
Mauricio, not a fan, but can’t overlook what he is doing on AAA. Are the Mets getting him time at position’s other than SS?
400 AVG 5 bombs 15 RBIs with a 1386 OPS in 9 AAA games to start the year. yeah the kids ready LFG BABY!!!
If only Baty had a, what’s it called… a position?
The Mets still don’t have a system. Baty’s inability to play 3B is going to severely limit his value. Even assuming he’s not a AAAA All-Star
Exciting news! I wouldnt get rid of escobar but definitely wont start him over baty on a regular basis
True. You never know when a guy batting .100 might come in handy.
I’d be ashamed to BOWL 114, let alone hit .114.
Excited to see what he and Mauricio can potentially do. Both have been mashing
@mark md77 Problem is, like Baty, Mauricio still doesn’t have a position. Mauricio, Baty, Vientos… there’s something wrong with an organization that couldn’t figure out to put even ONE of these guys, none of whom can play 3B, in LF for a year and leave him there to see if he can hack it there.
They’ve been in the organization for a combined 15 years, and not one of them has been playing a position he’ll stick at.
The Neto affect
Hopefully they actually intend to play him, unlike what they’re doing with Alvarez
NYM intend Locastro to be DFA’d? Guillorme better start taking some OF reps. He may be be called to be 5th on OF depth chart
They’re technically fine rostering only 4 outfielders because McNeil can fill in at the corners if they need it.
I’m looking forward to Camden telling everyone how bad this idea is.
I am thankful for his avatar. When I see it, I can scroll through his comments without reading
Heh.
Donny, yes, you choose to be ignorant. Most do. It’s the easier way
Not as bad as letting Jankowski go.
Like I said, in the 80s Jankowski would have been highly sought after and prized
But with todays choice towards soft men that constantly get injured, he’s out of the culture
Any smart GM would have traded for Jankowski and had him play CF and lead off
His career was totally destroyed by the weak people running the game now, and all because he’s masculine and doesn’t pass the eye test of looking feminine and pretty. Same with Brandon Drury. They wouldn’t let him play because he isn’t pretty enough. They constantly tried to run Josh Hamilton out of the game too
In the 80s, most of the league was players like Jankowski
Dykstra, Backman, Andy Van Slyke, Von Hayes etc…none of those men would even be allowed in the league today because they aren’t soft enough
Todays players are mainly all soft because that what pleases the weak men running the game now
@Camden
Yikes, you took that in a totally unexpected direction.
If Camden had continued with another paragraph I might have found something that I could invalidate.
But he didn’t and I applaud the clear-eyed dissertation.
Ah, yes, that manly .315 SLG.
It’s a CONSPIRACY!!!
Can’t argue with Baty coming up, as long as it’s to start most days.
But I’d like to know who is coming off the roster, I don’t see an obvious candidate.
The Mets were spending two roster spots on a RH DH / 5th=6th OFer in Pham, and a pinch runner.
They should be able to figure this one out. They’ll need a defensive caddy for Baty, and they need a 2Bman to let McNeil regularly move to LF, so they’ll have to hang onto both of Guillorme and Escobar.
Odds on favorite to win rookie of the year. Mets offense just got massively upgraded.
Odds on favorite? Massively upgraded. Not if he hits like last season. I don’t expect that he will, but plenty of guys get hot for a couple of weeks at AAA and then don’t find MLB success. Lots of “can’t miss” players at that. Maybe try to not smother him with those kind of expectations?
You said don’t use a couple of weeks of success but used a couple weeks from last year as a negative. He hit .315 last season so yes I would love for him to hit like last season. If you watched his brief stint in the majors he hit the ball hard but was unlucky. He is a top 20 prospect in baseball and probably top 5 pure hitters. The expectations are there from everyone.
Odds on favorite? Corbin Carroll and Jordan Walker say hello.
Well look at all three stats from the minors last year and the winner is Baty.
Who cares about minors stats? And a top 5 pure hitter? Oy. Hope you are right and not building up the next Adell.
Do you have a better way of comparing three players who are starting their rookie seasons? I am talking top 5 pure hitters as prospects. What prospects are better pure hitters right now?
As prospects you may be correct. I took that as a top 5 of all hitters, which could also be correct. Hard to tell. He has a sweet swing. Hope he elevates the ball at MLB like he was this season in the minors.
what is a “pure hitter” anyway?
Some one that sprays the ball over the whole field with power.
Can’t wait in a month when Baty is barely hitting .210 and Mets fans that were screaming for the call up are complaining that he’s terrible
Let’s just hope Locastro gets sent out and not Escobar
no doubt it will be Locastro
I’m not down on Baty, except defensively. The defense will cost more wins. Team is better with Escobar
Sure, Baty is a good, polished hitter. Good chase rate, works counts, goes the other way, etc. Even though I like Escobar as a free swinging RBI bat when he’s hot, there’s no doubt Baty is the superior hitter
But there’s also questions about his babip and ability to hit for average. Probably a lot of double plays. He’s vulnerable up in the zone. Lead feet, not very good hands
The league figured him out pretty quickly last year
I don’t think he’ll hit much better than Escobar right now, and the defense will be a major downgrade and liability
I get it though. You can’t really leave him at AAA right now. The Mets are probably planning on giving him a month and when he doesn’t hit they can send him back down
Baty will never have good hands. It’s something you can’t ever teach. He’ll never really be a good defensive 3B
Clumsy and slow footwork and he has awkward hands
He’s going to have a lot of errors and won’t make many of the plays Escobar makes
He won’t hit for much average but you’ll get good BB% and some power, but not really great power for a 3B
To me, it’s a pass. The negatives outweigh the positives. You get walks and 20-25 HR at 3B, but with below average 3B defense
Maybe if he turns into a mega power 3B averaging 30-40 HR with 70+ walks it’s worth the defensive liability, but that’s likely not happening
Put me on record saying Mets should have traded Baty and Vientos for some sort of pitching. A bold GM would have done it
Those are prospects that you really don’t want. You’re stuck with Baty at 3B or LF moving forward now
In two years you won’t be able to option or DFA him if he hits
It’s almost like a Rhys Hoskins situation where you can’t get rid of a bad defense corner infielder because he hits
Escobar can’t move. So he makes the plays he can standing still. There’s a lot he can’t get to. A Lot. They are hits. If Baty fields just 50% of those hits while making an error on the other half of them, he has just elevated the overall defense. And he will do a lot better than that. Rethink this.
You’re totally wrong. Escobar has good speed and range
Completely wrong saying Escobar “can’t move”
He had 67th percentile sprint last year
It’s true he looks out of shape this year and overweight, but it’s still pretty early. Some guys still aren’t in midseason form yet
SABR fielding last three seasons. Check out Eduardo Escobar rankings.
sabr.org/sdi/2020-final#NL3B
sabr.org/sdi/2021-final#NL3B
sabr.org/sdi/2022-final#NL3B
2020 – NL, adequate, 6th of 13 rated, rating 1.1
2021 – NL, next to worst, -4.0
2022 – NL, worst by far, -9.4 (also worst in MLB)
So if he’s good, they don’t know it.
Hahaha, sabr fielding ratings. Thanks for the laugh. Next you’ll cite OAA
I cited an expert opinion and you laugh at it. Back up your position with some ratings. If you can’t, just say so.
Baty is going to embarrass your opinion.
If he hits, why would you option or dfa him?
Your comparing Hoskins glove to Baty’s???? LMAO
Opie and Anthony?
I’m the expert, not your fake expert, who is merely a guy who doesn’t know what’s going on, but managed to get a position
Being an expert and having a position are two different things
At least 95% of the “baseball experts” have no idea how to evaluate anything and are just throwing darts and hoping something sticks
Jim Callis has no idea what’s going on, for example
No, Hoskins is terrible defensively, and Baty is not that bad, but still there’s problems with his hands and footwork
Already tonight there was a hitch and a pause in his footwork turning a double play that made the play less close than it should have been
@Camden453 The failure to at least TRY to get Pablo Lopez from Miami with some combination of Baty, Vientos, and Mauricio was inexcusable, as was the Mets bizarre failure to seriously try to convert even one of the three to LF.
The FO geniuses were actually looking to deal Carrasco in late winter instead of replacing him with a solid starter good enough to handle a rotation slot in the postseason. Now we’re looking at weeks where Peterson, Megill, and Butto make up 60% of the rotation; and what’s the scenario–once again–where the ancient rotation is healthy and effective by October?
He!! of a way to spend $460 million.
Put you on record?
Heh heh heh…
Like anybody GivesAShit about your babbling babblefest.
The move makes sense. Considering how he finished last season on a tear, Escobar deserved the chance to start the season as the starting third baseman. But he’s been atrocious and meanwhile, Baty has been incredible at AAA.
All of this is obviously in a small sample size, but the job was Escobar’s to lose and Baty’s to take. Escobar lost it and Baty took it.
Baty is being given a chance to take it and good luck to him!
I always wondered what if…
1B Alonso, 2B Gimenez, SS Rosario/Mauricio, 3B Baty, LF Kelenic, CF Nimmo, RF Crow-Armstrong, C Alvarez/Parada UTL, McNeil, DH Conforto
That field of players were all drafted/signed by the Mets. They’ve been pretty good at drafting the last several years, and hopefully keep the majority of those they draft going forward – Baty being one of them.
Congrats to BB,
Maybe cookie goes on the DL or? He has been awful this year
Eduardo to Seattle? Seems like a good fit. We have plenty to give and need to explore DH options
No No Sodo!!! Set your sights higher, young man!!!
We probably won’t know the corresponding move is until after today’s game since Baty won’t be active until tomorrow. Kinda makes Escobar a lame duck for today. I’m guessing the Baty news was leaked before the team wanted it out there
Escobar can play 2B. They don’t need a fifth outfielder since Mcneil can play LF/RF
Locastro gets DFA’ed and Escobar will get some starts at 2B
They’ll use Escobar as a PH bat and defensive replacement at 3B
The corresponding move tomorrow will be Jose Butto after his cameo SP today. This is how the Mets roll.
Nope, because they have to replace Butto with a pitcher
They need Locastro as a pinch runner for the fat boy when he reaches base lol
Neither Escobar or Vogelbach are hitting but i imagine the Mets are ready to part ways with Escobar.
As double punishment Escobar will be left in Oakland to fight the Possum that has terrorized the Mets broadcast team all weekend
Vogelbach has a .400 OBP so you’re incorrect. He’s moving the line along nicely
Just take the L on this one rather than argue the point foolishly
Also, no way Mets “part ways” with Escobar
Why wouldn’t the Mets part ways with Escobar? They cut Cano last year and he was playing better than Escobar and was owed more money
Well, he’s pretty badly out of shape this year, I’ll admit. Sprint speed is way down from 76th percentile to 9th
Something is clearly wrong with him. He gained a lot of weight it looks like
I highly doubt they’ll release him though. He’s still very good defensively at 3B and it isn’t that easy to find good 3B defense
The problem is perhaps he viewed having a “guaranteed contract” as having a guaranteed roster spot. Once upon of time that may have even been true but in todays game teams are willing to pay players to go away
OBP must mean Ordering Buffet Plates.
He moves that cafeteria line nicely.
The next Phillie killer
Oakland is trying to tank.
The Mets are f’g up their plans.
Pete Alonso just went yard to tie the game in the 9th. Billy Beancounter must feel like 50 feet of crap.
Bean’s BP is cratering. V
I wonder if he’s pointing at Pete.
Bases juiced. And who’s up?
The erstwhile Ed Escobar!
Can’t make this stuff up!
in his FINAL AB as a starter….. he costs them thd game
in his FINAL AB as a starter….. he costs them the game
And… Eddie puts out the fire. For Oakland! This gets better and better! How about an Eddie for Aaron Hickups, in a crosstown trade?
Aaron whined his way into the lineup again today. His batting line (K-K-K) was as usual, immaculate. And troubling.
Diaz really missed here.
Oakland employing their strategy.
Let the Mets BP implode
Oakland eschewing the sac bunt, letting their .227 hitter flail away. Thus rendering the would-be sac fly by the next batter meaningless.
Eddie scores the go-ahead run!
Take back what you guys said about him. TAKE IT BACK!
Ghost runners suck.
The Mets snag victory from the jaws of defeat… With Eddie the Animal Escobar scoring the game winner.
(Leans back in chair like Bruno Kirby in Good Morning Vietnam)
I think some apologies are in order!
LoCastro is basically Billy Hamilton. A fast runner who will never hit MLB pitching consistently.
Good luck to Baty, he put in a lot of hard work in the offseason that paid off in spring training, maybe it will pay off for him in this call-up and beyond. It would be great for the Mets. LGM beat LA.
Bring him up now and make sure he is ready to stay before trading Escobar. If he’s not ready he goes back to minors and your right back where you were before.
Ahhh the mysterious and very timely “back spasms” for Locastro
For his $1.4M salary Locastro can play all 3 OF positions, pinch run, and summon back spasms. Team player.
Not sure the best way to curb roster manipulation when it, in effect, punishes pitchers for doing well.
Because Butto is a starting pitcher, after working Sunday, he wouldn’t pitch again until Friday.
So the Mets farm him out and replace him on the roster with another hurler.
Did he do anything wrong? Quite the contrary, he did fine — but still lost his roster spot.
He doesn’t lose his 40-man roster spot, just his active roster spot. This is done all the time with players who have minor league options. He may not be pitching Friday, that remains to be seen
Locastro was on pace for the greatest sb per ab ratio ever
Bases loaded, Baty’s hips visibly seize up and he pops out weakly to LF
Get used to a lot of that in clutch situations in his career. And he had an absolute hanger on the first pitch to drive and he took it for a strike
About John Olerud…
I believe he wore a helmet in the field because he had a birth defect. He had a tiny pinhole in his skull. A hard shot against his head could’ve actually proven disastrous, if not fatal. Despite this, he was a terrific hitter. I believe he pushed the .400 mark as a Blue Jay, finishing at .363 or so.
Anyone else old enough to remember Amos Otis for Joe Foy (3B).
Good times! GOOD TIMES!
Btw, former Mets great Jacob deGrom was removed from the game after four innings as a precautionary measure. Hope deGrom doesn’t whine up… I mean wind up on de deSabled list.
Couldn’t carry Seaver’s jock.
Yep, I called it. Mets are 4-5 with Baty and they’re making more errors. Exactly what I said would happen