3 NY Mets trade scenarios involving Mark Vientos that make too much sense

3) Trade Mark Vientos and another player for Mitch Keller

How about Vientos goes to one of the teams constantly looking for offense but not willing to pay for it, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mitch Keller is getting paid well and as a starting pitcher addition for the Mets this offseason, they’d get a controllable and reasonably priced workhorse. One-for-one probably wouldn’t happen but another player could. Heck, maybe Jeff McNeil’s inclusion could have the Pirates surrendering another pitcher in the deal and help offset a little bit of the cash. The Bucs are known to have interest in McNeil after all.

Jack Suwinski is their current DH and Spencer Horwitz is the first baseman. Both bat left-handed. Vientos wouldn’t really need to be a platoon player there. If the Pirates are acquiring him, he should play regularly and get his hacks in for as close to 162 games as possible.

Vientos may be a limited player, but the trade possibilities can be justified in a manner of ways even with him being viewed simply as a 1B/DH. It may require the Mets to eat some salary or surrender a more controllable player as well to get something worth their while. Lesser deals as well, like ones where Vientos is swapped for a reliever, shouldn’t be out of the question either.