3 players NY Mets fans wanted on the 2025 roster we won't need to trade for now

The All-Star center fielder who came back to earth
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Of all the offseason "what ifs," Jarren Duran was perhaps the most tantalizing. The Boston Red Sox center fielder was coming off a superhuman 2024, a true breakout season where he was named an All-Star, posted an 8.7 bWAR, hit .285 with 21 homers, 34 steals, and an .834 OPS. He was the dynamic, table-setting leadoff hitter the Mets had lacked for years. Fans were pounding the table for David Stearns to trade a top prospect like Jett Williams or Drew Benge to get him. The Mets held firm, and now they look incredibly wise for doing so.
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Duran's 2025 season was not a disaster, but it was a clear and significant regression. His batting average fell to .256, his OPS dropped over 60 points to .774, and his home run and stolen base totals (16 and 24) both fell considerably. He was no longer a superstar; he was just a "good" player, and one who still struck out 169 times. The Red Sox are once again shopping him, but the asking price is still reportedly based on his 2024 hype, not his 2025 reality.
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For the Mets, acquiring him now would be a massive strategic mistake on two fronts. First, they would be trading a blue-chip prospect for a player who may have already peaked. Second, and more importantly, Duran would be a long-term blockade. The Mets' top prospects, Jett Williams and Drew Benge, are both center fielders who finished 2025 strong in the high minors. Trading for three years of Duran would mean signaling a lack of faith in their own system. The Mets' patience saved them from a costly trade and, most importantly, kept the development path clear for their own future stars.