The Washington Nationals have a need at first base. The New York Mets have a surplus of infielders. Could a trade partner materialize?
The New York Mets have highs and lows over the last 48 hours after missing on Kyle Tucker, who opted for a four year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers with their $400 million-plus payroll leading to further discussion about the polar opposites in spending across baseball. But the Mets moved onto Plan B, leading them to sign Bo Bichette to a three year, $126 million contract on Friday, leading to questions as to what's next in the infield.
That leads back to Washington as a possibility with Bichette viewed as likely to play third base and Jorge Polanco at first base. That could push Brett Baty out of the mix for an every day job, making him a potential candidate for the Nationals.
Baty's experience has largely been on the other side of the diamond with the Mets originally eyeing the former top-100 prospect as someone who could draw "significant third base time" in 2026, per president of baseball operations David Stearns. But he has the versatility to play first base with the Mets also viewing Baty as a versatile piece in the infield, making it a possibility. With the Nationals in need of a solution at first base, coupled with the Mets' reported interest in starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore, could an intra-division trade materialize?
The New York is also reportedly in the mix for Astros ace Framber Valdez with the Baltimore Orioles viewed as a finalist.
In 2025, Baty posted 18 home runs and 50 RBIs against 108 strikeouts in 393 at-bats and 130 games. He also ended the season setting multiple career-highs, hitting .254 with a .313 on-base percentage and .435 slugging. Drafted in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, he made his MLB debut in 2022 where he's appeared in at least 100 games in two of the last three seasons, while he was optioned midway through the 2024 season after being optioned to Triple-A.
The Nationals were also linked to Luis Arraez, who remains a free agent and was one of five possible fits still available ahead of the start of the 2026 season, with a question mark still looming.
Washington thought they had the answer at the position ahead of the 2025 season after trading for Nathaniel Lowe, but that proved to be anything but the fix before a midseason change became evident before he was DFA'd in August. Josh Bell signed nearly one year ago and after Lowe was moved, he stepped out of his full-time designated hitter role to slide into first base. But Bell won't be a candidate for the nationals in 2026 after signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins in mid-December. Andres Chapparo, who spent time bouncing between Triple-A and the big leagues in 2025, remains on the roster, but is he the answer?
Whether the addition of new first base coach Corey Ray, who was drafted fifth overall in the 2016 MLB Draft, makes an impact to address a key weakness remains to be seen with stopgap solutions as he replaces Gerardo Parra's staff position in 2026.