In an indication that they’ve begun getting ready for all times with out Pete Alonso, the Mets informed Brett Baty and Mark Vientos to start understanding at first base early within the new yr, The Publish has discovered.
Each gamers nonetheless stay viable at third base, however that Baty and Vientos have been suggested to start a routine that included first base is an indicator of how the Mets plan to proceed until there’s a U-turn again to Alonso.
Vientos met with Carlos Mendoza and infield coach Mike Sarbaugh, who gave him drills to work on at each first and third base. And Vientos has been doing so in South Florida, at occasions with the Mets St. Lucie (Single-A) supervisor Luis Rivera. Baty was given directions on working at first, second and third and has been doing so in Texas.
The Mets at present should not planning so as to add considerably at both first base or third base with their consideration extra on attempting to additional improve the bullpen.
A part of the Mets’ considering was that if they don’t retain Alonso, they needed to see if somebody from the Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna group might escape and show themselves a cheap, youthful answer as Vientos did in 2024.
If not, they all the time have till the July commerce deadline to deal with a difficulty.
Baty has not performed an expert inning, minors or majors, at first base.
However the Mets started to make use of him late final season within the minors at second base and consider he has adaptability. Nonetheless, it’s seemingly he can be seen as somebody who provides Vientos a break at first, maybe in opposition to a tricky righty.
Vientos is extra prone to turn into the common first baseman. He has performed 70 minor league video games at first (66 begins) and 14 within the majors (9 begins).
“I haven’t seen him a lot at first base, but Mark puts a lot of work in so I think wherever he is and wherever he ends up, I think he will be just fine,” Sarbaugh just lately informed The Publish’s Mike Puma.
With no matter knocks there have been on Alonso’s protection, he was skilled at first base. The Mets would clearly be operating a danger of some stage to go along with largely untested gamers on the place. However David Stearns has been adamant in his time operating baseball operations that no matter the place the Mets take the payroll that they’ve to offer younger gamers annual alternatives to interrupt by means of and in addition {that a} roster is a residing organism that may be adjusted recurrently by means of the commerce deadline when points come up.
Alonso stays unsigned, so it’s all the time doable that if the Mets stick with this roster development that they’ll pivot again to him in some unspecified time in the future. However they’ve given indications that regardless of Steve Cohen’s largesse that they’re working with a finances this offseason and within the final week, particularly, with the signings of Jesse Winkler and A.J. Minter had begun to spend elsewhere.
Would Cohen maintain to a decent finances if Alonso continued within the market? And will either side ever discover a frequent floor on a contract?
In June 2023, the Mets supplied Alonso a seven-year, $158 million extension that will have coated Alonso’s closing arbitration season (2024) and 6 free agent seasons – so roughly $20 million for his final yr of group management after which six years at $138 million for the free agent campaigns ($23 million on common yearly). Alonso rejected that and far has modified since then. He employed Scott Boras to signify him. Cohen employed Stearns, whose philosophy has been to not give lengthy contracts to gamers of their thirties (notably non-defenders at not-prime positions), so the Mets dropped their bid to 3 years with choose outs, however in the identical $23 million common vary.
Alonso turned 30 final month and is coming off his worst season, however one wherein he nonetheless hit 34 homers, had a 123 OPS-plus and hit one of many largest homers in franchise historical past – a three-run, ninth-inning shot off then-Milwaukee nearer Devin Williams in a decisive wild card Sport 3 to assist the Mets advance into the Division Collection.
Alonso is also in style with followers and the Mets turning away from him – particularly if they don’t acquire one other confirmed bat to hit behind Juan Soto – won’t usually be considered positively.
