Mets-Rangers trade fallout suddenly provides Reds with Matt McLain insurance option

The New York Mets and Texas Rangers sent shockwaves around the MLB landscape to kick off Thanksgiving week by swapping Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien. The deal is sure to create ripple effects, and out of those waves, the Cincinnati Reds could be the beneficiaries.

One of the Mets' priorities this offseason is tightening up their defense, and plugging Semien in at second base certainly does that for them. However, even before they pulled the trigger on the deal, they had a logjam of intriguing infield options, even if they weren't all perfect.

Veteran Jeff McNeil was joined by former top prospects Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña, Mark Vientos, and Brett Baty. One, if not more, has to go, and the Reds could be the beneficiaries.

McNeil would be a nice add, but his $15.75 million salary makes him a no-go for the Reds' budget. Mark Vientos, the 2024 version, but as a corner infield type, he'd just make the roster squeeze that much more complicated. Mauricio and Acuña are intriguing, but neither has shown much at the big league level. That leaves Baty, who is the perfect fit.

The Reds could take advantage of the Mets' newfound infield logjam to pluck away Brett Baty, who would be a perfect fit

Baty's career has been one of stops and starts. The 26-year-old topped out at No. 21 on MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects back in 2023, and Baseball America gave his raw power a coveted 70 grade as a prospect.

However, after scuffling through a cup of coffee in 2022, Baty was given a shot in 2023 and managed just a .598 OPS. It was more of the same in 2024, but the Mets pulled the plug quicker, giving him just 50 big league contests that year. Whenever he was demoted back to Triple-A, Baty went back to tearing the cover off the ball, leading to optimism that he'd start to figure it out.

The signs that it was beginning to click started to come in 2025. To call it a breakout for Baty might be a stretch, but the natural third baseman added second base to his defensive repertoire and began showing signs of life with the bat.

Posting a .254/.313/.435 line with 18 homers, Baty showed an above-average bat, even if it wasn't the game-changing power breakout some had hoped for. That might be coming, though. Baty came alive in the second half of the year, slashing .291/.353/.477 with nine homers over 190 second-half plate appearances.

A lefty-swinger, his pop would be a welcome addition to a Reds' lineup that managed just a .384 SLG from their left-handed bats in 2025, ranking 24th in the league. Great American Ball Park is also an excellent fit for him, with an expected home run total of 23 (his highest mark in any ballpark) had he played his games there in 2025.

Baty could give the Reds a platoon partner and/or insurance policy against further Matt McLain struggles as well as a left-handed option at the hot corner. Though he hasn't really done it in the majors, Baty does have some minor league experience playing left field as well.

Thanks to all of the stops and starts, Baty is still in his pre-arb years, heading into arbitration for the first time next offseason. That means, in addition to team control through the 2029 season, he's incredibly cheap for 2026. That would give the Reds the wiggle room to add a second power bat and/or some high-leverage bullpen arms.

The Mets' asking price can't be super high. Baty is on the verge of being squeezed out, and his spotty track record will force them to take what they can get. In every sense of the word, he'd be a cheap power gamble who could work out perfectly for Cincinnati.