Top ranked Mets prospects who could get traded next

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Kevin Smith #84 of the New York Mets poses for a photo during Photo Day at Clover Park on February 20, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Kevin Smith #84 of the New York Mets poses for a photo during Photo Day at Clover Park on February 20, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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ALLENTOWN, PA – MAY 02: The Rawlings glove, New Era cap and Keanon sunglasses of Tim Tebow #15 of the Syracuse Mets sit on the dugout step during a AAA minor league baseball game against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs on May 1, 2019 at Coca Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

If the New York Mets are looking at add to the major league roster this August or in the offseason, these three prospects are most likely to get traded.

The New York Mets don’t have the best farm system to help them add veteran talent to the roster. At this year’s trade deadline and even beyond, if they are buying, Brodie Van Wagenen will need to further decimate an already depleted crop of young talent to make it happen.

It’s beginning to look less like this August will be one where the Mets buy for the current season. This doesn’t mean Van Wagenen will be a seller. Based on what he did at the 2019 trade deadline, the Mets could try to buy for 2021.

Whenever a young player is traded, there’s usually some outcry from fans. We imagine every prospect will become a superstar while many of the veterans acquired are already past their prime or just in town as a rental.

However you feel about this, we will eventually see some Mets prospects traded again. If it happens, these are three of the Mets I could see on the move.

Mets Prospect Mark Vientos – Ranked 8

According to MLB.com, Mark Vientos is the number eight prospect on the farm. The 20-year-old third baseman was a second-round pick back in 2017.

The big question I have about him is how he can fit into the Mets’ future.

Vientos has hit well in his professional career. In parts of three minor league seasons, he’s slashing .265/.329/.429. Vientos popped 12 home runs and 27 doubles in 2019 as a member of the Columbia Fireflies in Single-A. This showed that even at a more advanced level, he can still handle the pitching.

An obvious flaw in Vientos’ game has been defense. He had a .902 fielding percentage in 2018 and a .905 fielding percentage in 2019. I understand fielding percentage is a bit outdated at this point. However, when it is this close to the .800s, it’s a rough number to see.

Vientos probably has a future at another position. I’m just not sure where that would be. His bat is certainly good enough to help him climb up the system or land with another ball club.

Because the Mets already have some major league options at third base and 2019 first-round pick Brett Baty playing at the hot corner, I can see the team using Vientos in a trade rather than attempt to develop him further.