With just hours remaining before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, Mark Vientos’ name is still circulating in trade rumors, revealing tensions between him and the Mets.
The 24-year-old infielder has declined after an impressive 2024 season with 27 home runs. This season, marked by a demotion to Triple-A, he is hitting just .230 with a .654 OPS and seven home runs in 74 games.
The presence of other young infield talents like Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuna on the roster has also limited Vientos’ playing time.
The lack of regular playing time has affected Vientos, who expressed to MLB.com that it is “extremely difficult” to improve with inconsistent at-bats, though he admits any complaints would likely go unheard.
“No, because there’s really no point,” Vientos told MLB.com when asked if he has approached management. “Nobody cares. Nobody really cares, to be honest, how I feel. But it’s the business.”
This doesn’t align with the player-friendly environment fostered by owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns, and manager Carlos Mendoza.
Recently, however, he has shown glimpses of last year’s form with a consistent playing stretch. Starting 12 of the Mets’ last 15 games, he is batting .319 with an .844 OPS, one home run (a grand slam against the Padres), and 10 RBI.
Still, his presence in trade discussions is logical for the Mets, given Stearns’ emphasis on versatility since his arrival. With Pete Alonso at first base daily, Vientos’ opportunities come at third base, where his defense has declined, or at DH, a position shared with Starling Marte, who is hitting .362 with a .925 OPS in his last 30 games.
The Mets may see Baty, Mauricio, or Acuna as having higher potential or as more adaptable choices while another group of prospects led by Jett Williams develops. A resolution with Vientos needs to happen soon.
“I see it as a good thing,” Vientos said about being in trade talks. “It’s a good thing that I’m being talked about. You can see it as like, ‘Damn, it’s bad.’ But I see it as, ‘Man, I’m that important in the league that I’m being talked about in trade rumors.’ Obviously, it sucks because I don’t want to get traded. But this is a business. At the end of the day, I feel like it is what it is. What can I do?”
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