Trading Vientos and Manaea could land the Mets a highly-touted lefty prospect, replenishing their system while adding a valuable bat.
The New York Mets are in a strange situation with corner infielder Mark Vientos. After bringing in plenty of value at first and third base this offseason, Vientos has been left on the outside looking in with no clear role on this 2026 roster.
He’s not quite even the next man up at the positions, as that likely belongs to Brett Baty. This leaves Vientos, 26, a place on the bench for most nights while his value takes a hit. If the Mets want to cash in on his value while it’s still positive, a last-minute move before Opening Day should be explored.
Bleacher Report made just the proposal in a recent article, one that would send Vientos and left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for designated hitter/outfielder Masataka Yoshida and left-handed pitcher Connelly Early.
Vientos struggled in New York last season, dropping back below league average at the plate after his breakout 2024 campaign. It was the third time in his four-year career that he finished the season with negative WAR.
Still, there are plenty around the MLB who believe in Vientos’ potential at the plate and could be willing to take the chance on the former second-round selection. Boston could be that team as they look for more power in their lineup.
On the Mets’ side of things, it makes sense to swap out Vientos and Manaea for Yoshida and Early. Their lineup already has plenty of power, making Vientos’ power upside even less valuable. By landing Yoshida, they’d be grabbing a player who better fits their need for bat-to-ball guys.
Manaea struggled for New York in 2025, posting a 5.64 ERA in 15 games last season. With plenty of rotational options, they would be just fine without his arm in 2026. On the other side, the Mets landing Early would likely be the biggest part of the deal.
The left-hander is currently MLB Pipeline’s No. 56 prospect and a top prospect in the Red Sox’s system. He debuted in 2025, pitching four games to a 2.33 ERA and striking out 29 batters in fewer than 20 innings. After trading away several top prospects this offseason, the Mets would love to replenish their prospect pool.
It’s probably wishful thinking to believe Boston would part ways with the 23-year-old who has a career 3.32 ERA in the minor leagues. Still, they may be more willing to include him in a trade, given the fact that they have an even better left-handed pitching prospect in Payton Tolle.
The Mets may not be willing to make such a drastic move so close to Opening Day, but a Vientos trade seems inevitable at some point in 2026 – it’s only a matter of time before they finally pull the plug on the slugger.