How does Mark Vientos fit with the Mets right now?
Plus, Nolan McLean's is sick, and an update on where the Mets and Freddy Peralta are on a contract extension
The Mets were off on Monday and will play against Nicaragua’s WBC team on Tuesday afternoon at Clover Park
MLB Pipeline released it’s updated list of the Mets top 30 prospects on Monday morning. You can see the list here
RHP Nolan McLean did not join Team USA yesterday because he was feeling ill. He is expected to make his first start for the team next Tuesday against Italy
The Mets have not yet had serious conversations about a contract extension with Freddy Peralta (The Athletic)
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Today’s Game 🏝️
Match-up: Mets (5-3) vs. Team Nicaragua
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: TBD vs. RHP TBD
When: 1:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: N/A
Where can Mark Vientos provide value for the Mets in 2026? ✍️
We’re just over three weeks from opening day, and for the first time since spring training games began last weekend, the Mets did not play a game against a different team on Monday. The WBC is just about ready to commence, with the Mets set to play tune-up games against Nicaragua and Israel the next two days, but at least for one afternoon we were able to catch our breath a little bit and reflect on what has transpired since pitchers and catchers reported to Port St. Lucie in early February.
Which got me thinking, again, about Mark Vientos and his current fit on this roster.
By now, we all know the story here. Vientos enjoyed a spectacular breakout season in 2024 and helped spur the Mets run to the NLCS. This time a year ago he was being viewed as a future centerpiece of the team. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily on both sides of the ball in 2025, and ultimately lost his hold on the third base job.
Objectively, New York now has to view Vientos as someone who has always dominated the minor leagues, but in parts of four Major League seasons owns a .239/.294/.438 slash line and has put together just one legitimately productive season.
And while it has not been discussed nearly as much as it was prior to camp opening, for me his place on this roster just continues to feel precarious, though the situation is complicated to say the least.
Let’s rehash.
This time last year, Vientos was the team’s starting third baseman. He ultimately lost his job to his pal Brett Baty, though after the club signed superstar shortstop Bo Bichette with the intention to move him to third base, the hot corner has suddenly evaporated as an avenue for playing time.
Baty is hands down the team’s best defensive third baseman—that was certainly evident after spending the early part of camp watching in Port St. Lucie—but Bichette is going to be handling third base nearly every day while Baty is emerging as a legit candidate to play first base alongside Jorge Polanco, who is slowly learning the nuances of what is a new position for him over there.
Baty also has demonstrated better-than-expected positional versatility,, not just in camp this year but in general over his professional career. He handled second base well when called upon last season, he has minor league experience in the corner outfield spots, and again is just now beginning to work at first base.
New York does not have a true first baseman on the roster with Polanco and Baty both attempting to learn the spot, so while the bar is low, it would not be a stretch to see Baty emerge as the team’s top defensive option there. Michael touched on a lot of this yesterday.
But if the Mets are as steadfast as they say they are in increasing Baty’s versatility to keep his bat in the lineup, and Polanco is currently projected to be their clean-up hitter whether he’s playing first or is the DH….again, where does this leave Vientos?
Yes, he has right-handed power, but if he can’t get in the lineup at either corner infield position, is he really most valuable to the Mets as a part-time DH against left-handed pitching and occasional pinch-hitter?
There’s also the fact that whether people want to talk about it yet or not, there is going to soon be a roster crunch.
New York is going to carry a four-man bench. Assuming Francisco Lindor is ready for opening day, one spot will go to backup catcher Luis Torrens, one spot will go to 4th outfielder Tyrone Taylor, and it’s certainly trending towards Ronny Mauricio being the team’s utility infielder and backup shortstop.
That leaves one spot which right now is projected to belong to Vientos.
But here’s the thing.
New York is insistent on giving top prospect Carson Benge a chance to win the right-field job out of camp, and he very well might. But they also signed MJ Melendez to a major league contract this winter and the former Royal is off to a fabulous spring start. Mike Tauchman has also made a positive impression in camp as one of the candidates to earn the right-field job.
If Benge does indeed win the job, things suddenly get a little dicey at the backend of the opening-day roster.
Melendez does have one minor league option remaining so conceivably he could be sent to Syracuse if that’s an avenue the Mets need to pursue, but would they let a useful player like Tauchman walk altogether so Vientos can get a handful of at-bats a week?
Switch-hitting utilityman Vidal Brujan is also on the 40-man roster and out of options. He can play multiple positions and has speed, and might need to man shortstop for a little while if Francisco Lindor isn’t ready by Opening Day. Again, is this someone you DFA in a couple of weeks?
I promise the point of this think tank is not to pile on Vientos. I happen to be a big fan of him and wish him the best. It’s just that as camp continues to develop, it becomes more and more difficult to imagine a scenario that him being on the bench in Queens is best for both he and the team.
And a lot of this comes back to the seemingly never-ending trade rumors circulating around Vientos and the Pirates just before spring training opened. The upstart Bucs are planning to start light-hitting Jared Triolo at the hot corner and don’t have a legitimate minor league third baseman waiting in the wings.
The fit with Vientos and Pittsburgh is too perfect to ignore, and while the Mets would obviously prefer not to trade low on his value, you’d have to believe these conversations are continuing to persist.
What is especially ironic is that in the event a trade were to be made, the Pirates are the team that will be in Flushing on opening day on the 26th.
Now, as usually happens in this sport, some of these situations have a way of working themselves out and perhaps a currently unforeseen camp injury suddenly makes Vientos much more crucial.
But as things stand right now, it’s just hard to see him being set up for success in the role the Mets can currently offer him. And as the days tick away, it continues to feel more and more like both sides could benefit from a trade.
Around the League 🚩
LHP Framber Valdez made his spring debut for the Tigers and fired three scoreless innings against Atlanta
Former Met Luisangel Acuna had two hits including a home run in the White Sox 6-5 loss to the Giants - he is projected to be Chicago’s every day center fielder
The Reds crushed six homers in a 17-9 drubbing of the Reds in Goodyear
Veteran RHP Mike Clevinger threw three scoreless innings in Pittsburgh’s 4-1 win over the Rays