With infield upgrades, the Mets face a tough decision. Could trading Mark Vientos before Opening Day be their smartest move for valuable prospects?
The New York Mets' infield received an influx of talent this offseason, acquiring third baseman Bo Bichette, second baseman Marcus Semien, and first baseman Jorge Polanco. With the shakeup in their infield, the Mets are now left with surplus players that would be more valuable in a trade than on the bench in 2026.
Infielder Mark Vientos is the prime example of just that. In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer claims that the Mets should trade away Vientos before Opening Day.
Such a deal makes a lot of sense for New York, which now has Vientos and infielder Brett Baty on the outskirts of a stacked lineup. Just one year removed from a 3.1 WAR breakout season and still just 26 years old, the best move for the Mets may be to trade Vientos while he can still provide a strong return.
Following an .837 OPS season in 2024, Vientos came back down under league average in 2025 with a .702 OPS. His slugging percentage dropped from a great .516 to a mediocre .413 in one season. With that, he tallied just 17 home runs in 2025.
Vientos played the majority of his games in 2025 at third base, a position now held by the $126 million Bichette. He’s also played some first base and has been a designated hitter option for the Mets, but they already have the depth piece they need in Baty. That leaves Vientos out to dry and for all of his value to dry up after it already came down following his 2025 campaign.
His name has already been thrown out there plenty of times this offseason, with teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates expressing their interest in the former top prospect. Despite taking a step back in 2025, teams should still be interested in what Vientos has shown and his four remaining years of team control.
In return, the Mets could help refill their farm system. After trading away multiple top prospects this offseason in favor of some of the game’s biggest names like Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert Jr., New York could use one or two young guys to replenish some holes in their system. If they trade Vientos to a contender, they would be sure to land at least one intriguing prospect in return.