One winter ago, the Mets faced the same question at the same position.
They had a couple young, unproven third basemen in-house. They debated letting the kids compete for the spot or bringing in a more proven option. They talked with Justin Turner’s camp. They expressed interest in Gio Urshela. They did sign Joey Wendle — who provided one more competitor at third yet projected as a utilityman — but decided to pass on any big- or medium-ticket free agent at the spot. Even after Ronny Mauricio went down playing Winter Ball, the Mets opted for a competition between Brett Baty and Mark Vientos.
You know the rest. Baty won the battle and was the club’s Opening Day third baseman. Vientos won the war, supplanting a struggling Baty by the end of May and emerging as arguably the team’s best bat in October. The Mets decided to learn more about a couple promising but flawed prospects rather than land a higher-floored, lower-ceilinged third baseman on the market, and it paid off in uncovering a tremendous bat in Vientos who is not even making $1 million this year.
Which brings us to the Yankees’ offseason. They have a couple young, unproven third basemen in-house (plus a declining veteran). They have debated letting the kids and vet compete for the spot or bringing in a more proven option. They talked with Willy Adames. They sniffed around the likes of Jorge Polanco and continue to be linked with Nolan Arenado. As of today, when pitchers and catchers report to Tampa for spring training, the Yankees are hoping someone already on the roster steps up.
