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Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Brett Baty will be getting reps at both second and third base during spring training, signaling the Mets' commitment to finding him a role on the 2025 roster.
Earlier in the offseason, Baty was said to be taking reps at first base, but with Pete Alonso returning for another year, the team is now exploring other ways to get his bat in the lineup.
Carlos Mendoza says that Brett Baty will play third base and second base in spring training games: pic.twitter.com/PRoMlu81nO
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 15, 2025
Despite some ups-and-downs in 2024, Baty has remained determined to establish himself as a key piece of the Mets' future. With another year of development under his belt, the Mets clearly see potential, giving him opportunities across the infield to maximize his impact. However, last season, he played 50 games at the major league level, posting a .229/.306/.327 slash line with four home runs and 16 RBIs but struggled and lost the third base job to Mark Vientos.
New No. 7
Baty will also take the field in 2025 with a fresh look—switching to No. 7, as Juan Soto has claimed No. 22 for his debut season in Queens. While the number change is a minor adjustment, it represents a new chapter for Baty, who has been putting in the work to earn an everyday role.
Brett Baty drills a line drive against Kodai Senga in live BP pic.twitter.com/UsTHgUm2D3
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 15, 2025
Projections for 2025 are optimistic, with numbers that would make him a valuable contributor in a deep Mets lineup if he can earn at-bats in a crowded infield. His ability to play multiple positions could further solidify his place on the roster, and Mendoza's comments suggest the team is eager to see what he can do with a fresh opportunity.
With spring training getting started, Baty has the chance to prove he's ready to take the next step—and the Mets appear to be giving him a shot at making the big-league roster. But time might be running out on the 25-year-old former top prospect given the emergence of Vientos at third base, Jeff McNeil or Luisangel Acuña playing second base and the return of Alonso at first for at least one more season.
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Blue Jays' hot streak has them in rare territory
The Toronto Blue Jays won again on Friday, defeating the Detroit Tigers by a 6-2 margin to extend their American League East lead and take over the best record in Major League Baseball. All of this is relatively uncharted territory for Blue Jays fans of a certain age — and the franchise itself. With Friday's win, this is the latest in a season that Toronto has owned baseball's best record since 1992 (when they went on to win the World Series). Their five-game lead in the division is also the biggest divisional lead they have had this late in the season since 1992. The Blue Jays continue to write a pretty incredible story for themselves this season. They did not have overly high expectations when the season began and were dealing with a contract negotiation with their top star — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — who seemed destined to play out the season before hitting free agency. It's amazing how much has changed, and how rapidly it has changed, over the past couple of months. Not only did the Blue Jays get Guerrero Jr. signed to a long-term deal when it seemed like they had missed their opportunity, but they also overcame a mediocre start that had them hovering around the .500 mark through the end of May. Since June 1, the Blue Jays have gone on a 32-14 run, and they're 20-5 over their past 25 games. It has not only put them right in the thick of the American League playoff race, but it has put them in the driver's seat for a highly competitive American League East crown,
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
The Las Vegas Raiders just stunned the league by releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins after only one year with the team. After signing a four-year, $110 million contract, he struggled with injuries in 2024. This was supposed to be a big bounce-back year for Wilkins, but after a dispute between the two sides in regard to how to handle his foot injury, the team decided it was best to part ways. Now, a premier interior disruptor is suddenly available. Assuming his medicals get checked out soon, there should be a lot of interest around the league. Where should he land? Dallas Cowboys Dallas has needed a dominant interior presence for quite some time. Osa Odighizuwa is an awesome threat, but he is only solid against the run. Alongside him, the team will be banking heavily on 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith, who has been disappointing so far. With Dallas looking to return to the playoffs, adding a stud like Wilkins could give Dallas one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers added some young bodies in CJ West and Alfred Collins, yet neither offer a proven, all-around talent like Wilkins could if healthy. The 49ers defensive line was horrid outside of Nick Bosa in 2024, but by adding Wilkins, the team would now have a solid cast of starters with Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, Wilkins and Kevin Givens/Jordan Elliott. Miami Dolphins A return to Miami makes a ton of sense for both sides. The Dolphins know exactly how to use Wilkins, he knows the building and players, and the transition would be very easy. Miami needs help in the interior defensive line; by plugging Wilkins back into his old role, he could offer the quickest path to high-level impact. Detroit Lions With Levi Onwuzurike out with injury and Detroit needing more juice on the defensive line, adding a proven disruptor like Wilkins could make some sense. He could provide more depth while he gets fully healthy, and he can join a legit Super Bowl contender. His energy and mentality could be a good fit for a Dan Campbell-led squad. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars defense is average in the interior, but they have excellent edge-rushers who would benefit greatly from a strong disruptor up the middle. Wilkins could balance the front, help in the run defense and allow more one-on-ones for their premier edge-rushers. For a team that wants to return to the playoffs as soon as possible, adding a veteran like Wilkins could be a worthy bet to make.
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