The Marlins were the sports most active seller on deadline day, showing willingne s to listen on virtually every short-term a set they had while also targeting controllable young players around whom they could potentially build future iterations of the club. One player sought by Miamis front office was within their own division; the Fish showed heavy interest in third base prospect , , adding that Miami was one of multiple clubs interested in buying low on the former first-rounder and top-100 prospect. Selected 12th overall back in 2019, Baty ranked on MLB.coms top-100 prospects list every year from 2020-23. By the time the 2022-23 seasons rolled around, just about every publication of note ranked Baty among the games 50 or so best prospects. He and current third baseman second-round pick in 2017 ranked highly in the Mets system throughout their prospect tenures, but its Vientos whos taken the reins at third base and run with the opportunity. In 259 plate appearances this season, the 24-year-old Vientos owns a hearty .280/.336/.547 slash (148 wRC+) with 16 homers and 15 doubles. The emergence of Vientos naturally led to some speculation regarding Baty in the lead-in to last months trade deadline. However, Vientos presence alone hardly means theres no long-term fit on the roster for Baty. Hes seen minor league work at second base and also played left field in the majors. Current second baseman is no stranger to the outfield corners and could shift there. The Mets will also see both and become free agents at seasons end. Baty is considered a superior defender at third to Vientos, so if Alonso and/or Martinez depart in free agency, Vientos could work in more of a first base/DH role next year (or rotate between the two infield corners and DH). Thatd free up third base for Baty if he hits enough to merit the opportunity. To this point in his career, Baty simply hasnt done that. Hes played in parts of three big league seasons but managed only a .215/.282/.325 batting line (73 wRC+) in 602 trips to the plate. However, he was also rushed to the majors in 22 despite only having six games of Triple- David Robertson Jersey A experience to his credit. And, of course, Baty would hardly be the first prospect to struggle at the plate in his first few MLB looks before hitting his stride in his mid-20s. Even Vientos flailed away at a .205/.255/.354 clip through his first 81 games in 2022-23 before hitting his stride in the majors this year. Its worth noting that while he didnt hit in the majors this season, Batys still showing plenty of promise in Syracuse. Hes taken 203 turns at the plate with the Mets Triple-A club there and posted a sound .260/.360/.497 line (119 wRC+) with 11 homers, eight doubles, a big 12.8% walk rate and a lower-than-average 18.7% strikeout rate. Baty still has a minor league option remaining beyond the current season as well, so even if he struggles next spring or early in the season, he could still be freely sent to Triple-A for additional refinement. has mi sed the entire season due to a torn ACL but will be back in the mix next year. A top prospect himself, he has hit at least 20 home runs in each of the past three minor league seasons while playing shortstop, second base and third base. He recently underwent surgery to clean up some scar ti sue in his right knee, per Will Sammon of The Athletic , but that isnt expected to have a noticeable impact on his timeline. has shortstop locked up for the foreseeable future but Mauricio could eventually factor into the infield picture at third or second base, depending on other developments around the roster. The offseason will be interesting with regard to the Mets corner mix. Theyll surely receive interest in Baty again while simultaneously exploring the po sibility of keeping a franchise cornerstone (Alonso) and a still very productive veteran DH (Martinez). Baty could arguably be used as a trade chip to acquire help on the pitching front , and can all become free agents at seasons end but theres also a po sible long-term role to be had in Queens, especially if Alonso signs elsewhere. From the Marlins vantage point, targeting Baty is perfectly sensible. They dont have a long-term solution at third base. has handled that spot regularly since being acquired prior to the 2023 deadline, but hes a defensive liability whose free-swinging, low-OBP approach at the plate leads to wild fluctuations in terms of offensive output. Hes better suited at first base or at designated hitter. Deadline pickup could get a long-term look at third, but hes a versatile prospect who could bounce around the diamond in a semi-regular role. Adding Baty and his remaining five seasons of club control surely holds some appeal, but the Mets are presumably wary of sending Baty to another NL East club and watching him blo som into a regular. Still, the Marlins will have pitching to peddle again this winter (e.g. , , and potentially even former Cy Young winner ), so they could rekindle their interest in Baty. Hell likely draw interest from both rebuilding teams and others simply looking for a long-term option at the hot corner, but its far from a given that the Mets will actually move Baty this offseason. Andrew Pinckney Jersey