With Carlos Correa joining the Mets, the Reds should target Brett Baty in a trade

In a strange twist, Carlos Correa is now a member of the New York Mets. After reportedly signing a mega-deal with the Giants, some apparent medical concerns caused San Francisco to postpone their introductory press conference.

That allowed super-agent Scott Boras and Mets' owner Steve Cohen to come together on a 12-year/$315M contract. Instead of the Bay Area, Correa will now call the Big Apple home.

Why is this of any concern to the Cincinnati Reds? With Correa now in the fold, third base becomes his for the foreseeable future. The New York Mets just happen to have one of the top third base prospects in the game - Brett Baty.

With Carlos Correa joining the NY Mets, the Reds should target Brett Baty.

Wait a minute. Why in the world would the Cincinnati Reds want to trade for another infielder? Between Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Mike Moustakas, Alejo Lopez, Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte, and Matt Reynolds, the Reds have third basemen coming out of their ears.

Here's the cool part - Brett Baty is also an outfielder. While his 11 games in the big leagues last season were all at third base, Baty has experience playing left field in the minor leagues. Baty suited up in the outfield 11 times last season and 18 in 2021.

While the left-handed slugger might feel more comfortable at third base, his ability to play the outfield is something that would be rather intriguing for the Cincinnati Reds. Let's not forget that Jesse Winker roamed the outfield in the Queen City for several years and nobody batted an eye because of what the Buffalo native was able to do at the plate.

That's where Baty shines as well. In 95 games in the minors last season, Baty slashed .315/.410/.533 and crushed 19 round trippers while racking up 60 ribbies. Baty's rookie status is still intact through next season, meaning he won't even reach arbitration until 2026 and is under team control through 2028.

What would it cost in order to pry Brett Baty away from the New York Mets? That's for Nick Krall and Billy Epler to figure out. With the Mets in win-now mode, perhaps a bullpen arm and young prospect would be enough to entice New York to make a trade. Who knows?