With the Mets agreeing to re-sign Pete Alonso, their everyday lineup is all but set. Alonso will go back to manning first base, while Mark Vientos will remain at the hot corner, though he may still get occasional first base reps if Alonso needs to rest his legs. However, three players – Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty will enter spring training without major league roles. Acuña dazzled while Francisco Lindor was hurt late in 2024, but would he continue to progress as a backup? Mauricio missed all of 2024 due to a torn ACL, while Baty struggled badly enough in the majors that he was sent back to Triple-A for the second year in a row. What comes next for these three players?
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Option 1: Begin the Season in the Minors
For younger players, it can’t hurt to spend more time refining tools in the minor leagues. All three players have shown flashes of brilliance in the majors – as mentioned previously, Acuña played well in September, Mauricio hit multiple balls over 115 miles per hour in his cup of coffee, and Baty has started each of the last two seasons off strong before faltering. However, it’s hard for players to keep getting better when their at-bats are sparse. All three players have minor-league options, making this a reasonable path.
Option 2: Win the Last MLB Roster Spot
Right now, three veterans – Starling Marte, Tyrone Taylor, and Luis Torrens – appear locked into three of the team’s four bench spots. Unless one of those players gets injured or has a really rough spring, Acuña, Mauricio, and Baty will have to battle with Nick Madrigal, Jared Young, and Joey Meneses for the final spot with the big club. FanGraphs currently projects Acuña to break camp. How often will the player who wins that spot get to play? Each player is versatile enough that they could get one or two starts per week. Acuña has played both middle infield positions as well as center field in the minors, Mauricio has played three of the four infield spots and left field, and Baty has played third base, second base, and left field.
Option 3: Work Out a Trade
The Mets have been recently linked to both Michael King and Dylan Cease. If the Mets are still inclined to add another arm, at least one of Acuña, Mauricio, or Baty would likely be included in a deal. This could help out both sides – the Mets would get a strong arm to stabilize the rotation, and whoever gets traded would get a fresh start. With the Mets also having Jett Williams and Elian Peña in the farm system, along with Young and Madrigal, they can afford to deal away some infield depth.
Recommendation
The easiest decision to make for this group is to have Mauricio begin the year in the minors. He hasn’t played in over a year and couldn’t even start baseball activities in 2024. It’s unclear if he’ll be fully healthy by the end of spring training.
Had Alonso not re-signed, Acuña would’ve had a chance to be an everyday player in the majors to start the year. However, with Alonso back in the fold, Acuña seems ticketed for Syracuse to continue receiving regular at-bats. If he performs well, he’ll likely be the first man up from the minors.
As for Baty, a trade might be best for both sides. Baty is 25 years old and has yet to prove he can be an everyday player in the big leagues. A change of scenery could lead him to finally break out and play the way the Mets expected him to when they drafted him in the first round. If they can’t work out a deal, he can begin the season as a left-handed bench bat for the team.
