There is no way the New York Yankees would actually make this trade with the New York Mets, right?
For the most part, the New York Yankees' roster is set heading into 2026. They've re-signed Cody Bellinger, their starting rotation looks complete and they've also retained some other pieces like Amed Rosario, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn.
Sure, the Yankees could use some more bullpen help, but they just landed Angel Chivilli in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, so they might only add one more arm.
New York will likely proceed into Spring Training as currently constructed, but that does not mean the Yankees won't make any midseason adjustments.
The Bronx Bombers are almost always active at the MLB trade deadline, and if it turns out New York does need another pitcher or wants another bat come summertime, you can bet Brian Cashman will be working the phones.
But Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com has pitched a rather wild trade scenario in which the Yanks would trade pitcher Luis Gil to the New York Mets in exchange for infielder Mark Vientos.
Why in the world would the Yankees do this?
New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos. Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images.Yes, New York could stand to upgrade from Ryan McMahon at third base (in terms of his bat), but I don't think Vientos is the best route to pursue.
Vientos slashed just .233/.289/.413 over 463 plate appearances in 2025, and while he did hit 27 home runs the year prior, that may have been a bit of a fluke.
The 26-year-old doesn't walk (lifetime .294 OBP since entering the big leagues in 2022), and he is also absolutely horrendous at the hot corner.
Gil, on the other hand, has shown plenty of ability in the majors. He missed most of 2025 due to a lat injury, but the preceding campaign, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award after logging a 3.50 ERA while posting 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
Sure, the 27-year-old did show some rather concerning signs this past year, but trading him for Vientos would be an awful move for the Yankees.
Is it possible that Gil could be trade bait at some point this year? Given New York's rotation depth when healthy, yes. But if the Yankees are going to move Gil, it's almost surely going to be as part of a much more prominent deal.
I'm not questioning New York's need for another bat. It would certainly benefit the Yanks to bolster the bottom of their order. But Vientos is not the answer.
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