Pirates Pursuing Trade for Mets Third Basemen
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need depth at third base and are looking at ways to add before the start of the season.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on 93.7 The Fan that two third baseman the Pirates are looking at come from the New York Mets in Brent Baty and Mark Vientos.
Mackey said that they're looking for players on cheaper contracts with years of team control, which Baty and Vientos both have, but knocks them out of landing Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, who they've been linked with.
"Third base, I've heard they have options on several fronts, maybe up to a half-dozen, somewhere around there. The Mets guys are in play, that they have a lot of feelers on there, it's not Isaac Paredes."
Will The Pirates Actually Trade for Vientos and Baty?
The Pirates have made some big additions this offseason, adding to their lineup in an attempt to support their stellar pitching staff and end a decade-long absence from the playoffs.
Baty and Vientos are young third baseman, in their final year of pre-arbitration, where they'll make a little more than league minimum, $780,000 in 2026, then have three years of arbitration, keeping them from free agency until the end of the decade.
Both players are clearly desirable for a team like the Pirates, who have generally one of the lowest payrolls of any MLB team, giving them a solid addition with four years of team control.
The Mets added free agent Bo Bichette this offseason, who will serve as the Mets starting third baseman. Baty and Vientos are also joined by Ronny Mauricio, giving the Mets four different third baseman.
The Pirates would likely have an easier time landing Vientos than Baty, who the Mets value more as a utility player, but both players will command a decent trade return.
Pittsburgh will likely have to include a MLB-ready bat, such as catcher Joey Bart, but also a pitching prospect, as New York showed interest in their young talented aces this offseason, for a trade to work.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has been aggressive this offseason with trades and it wouldn't come as surprising to see him add a third baseman, even if not Vientos or Baty.
Why the Pirates Have Interest in Vientos and Baty
The Pirates lack true depth at third base, with Jared Triolo their only serious option at the position heading into 2026.
Triolo, a Gold Glove Award winner as a utility player, hasn't had a full season of consistent hitting and the Pirates have made lineup additions to address their offense for 2026 this winter.
Pittsburgh has gone after numerous third base options that they've missed out on, including Japanese superstar Kazuma Okamoto, Jorge Polanco, Willi Castro, Yoán Moncada and most recently Eugenio Suárez, who recently signed with the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $15 million contract.
The trade market makes the most sense at this point of the offseason, with their being little free agents remaining.
Vientos had his best season come in 2024, but saw his numbers drop in 2025, including going from 27 home runs in 2024 to 17 home runs last season.
Stat | Total (2024) | Total (2025) |
|---|---|---|
Batting Average | .266 | .233 |
On-Base % | .322 | .289 |
Slugging % | .516 | .413 |
OPS | .838 | .702 |
He has also struggled defensively at third base the past two seasons, with -16 defensive runs saved and -13 OAA.
Vientos would provide a right-handed bat that the Pirates would like to have, especially if he can get back to the power he had in 2024.
Baty had his best season in the majors in 2025, setting career-highs in almost all hitting categories.
Batting Avg. | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.254 | .313 | .435 | .748 |
Hits | Doubles | Home Runs | RBI | BB/K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
100 | 13 | 18 | 50 | 33/108 |
He is also a much better defensive third baseman than Vientos, with +4 DRS and +2 OAA, an improvement from his first two seasons in the major leagues, combining for a -8 DRS and -5 OAA.
Baty does hit left-handed, but his defensive skills would translate well to a Pirates team that needs some good gloves in the lineup too.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.