Photo by Richard Nelson
As previously reported by Mike Puma of the New York Post, the New York Mets were contemplating sending third baseman Brett Baty back down to Triple-A Syracuse due to his struggles over the past two months. Indeed, the Mets have announced they are optioning Baty to Syraucse.
Buck Showalter spoke with the media about the decision saying, “Just a little time out. Take a breath. Just let him work on some things without the day-to-day.” He indicated there is no timetable for his return to the majors while emphasizing this was in the best interests of his development as a player.
As detailed at Mets Daddy, Baty is currently at a -0.6 WAR, 73 OPS+, 77 wRC, and a -6 OAA. After hitting .333/.391/.524 over his first 13 games, he has been hitting .195/271/.297 over his next 73 games played.
If he qualified, his wRC+ would be the lowest among all third baseman. His 27.7 K% is the worst he’s ever had in full season ball, and his ground ball rate has regressed to 51.3%. Defensively, his -6 OAA is tied for third worst among third baseman.
At the moment, it does not appear Mark Vientos will receive extended playing time at third base. The lineup for the first game of the series against the Chicago Cubs was announced, and Vientos was slated as the DH. As a result, it does not appear the Mets will give Vientos an opportunity to win the third base job over the short or long term.
The Baty demotion was one of a series of moves made by the Mets. Starling Marte landed back on the IL with a right groin strain. With him being put on the IL and Baty being optioned, Abraham Almonte and Jonathan Araúz have been called up from Triple-A Syracuse. Araúz is in the lineup playing second while Danny Mendick is at second base.
This will be Araúz’s second stint with the Mets this season. He previously played two games against the Kansas City Royals. He was 1-for-6 with two strikeouts.
Almonte, 34, played 15 games for the Boston Red Sox last season. He hit .257/.297/.400 with two doubles, one homer, and two RBI. He was purchased later in the season by the Milwaukee Brewers. He became a free agent in the offseason and signed a minor league deal with the Mets.
Almonte suffered a calf injury during spring training and never got the opportunity to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. In an injury plagued season, he has played 27 games with Syracuse hitting .228/.331/.564 with a double, 11 homers, and 26 RBI.
