5 NY Mets players most likely to be traded at this year’s Winter Meetings

3) Ronny Mauricio

Yet another young Mets player with one remaining minor league option and a whole lot of opportunities in front of him, Ronny Mauricio is coming off of a season where he missed all action due to an injury suffered in the Winter League in late 2023. This probably damages his value by only a few hairs. A year older than Acuna, many of the same considerations apply for him.

Mauricio doesn’t have the same speed but has shown a propensity to hit for power. He hit 20 home runs in 2021, another 26 in 2022, and had 23 in 2023. His size makes him more of a match to maybe be a third base solution for the Mets. Could this be what saves him from getting traded? Alternatively, it could be a factor that makes him more attractive to other ball clubs in trade discussions.

It’s hard to imagine a Mets future where both Mauricio and Acuna exist. Even though they could hypothetically play different positions or one could be on the bench, there just seems to be less of a likelihood of it, especially with so few games of MLB experience and a minor league option each.

The Mets would be wise to keep Acuna or Mauricio around. The tough part is knowing which one they should trade.