Following a breakout 2024 season, it's no secret that Mark Vientos has had back-to-back poor campaigns with the New York Mets. He was once viewed as a future franchise cornerstone and now he is a non-tender candidate this offseason.
But as bad as the last two seasons have gone for Vientos, there's still a case to be made for the Mets to keep him at least a little longer. Despite posting a combined -1.5 bWAR the last two years, there are a few reasons why the Mets should hang on to Vientos next season.
The argument for why the Mets should keep Mark Vientos
With Vientos, there's some risk involved if the Mets were to move on from him this winter. He turns 27 in December and still comes along with loads of power and potential at the plate. If the Mets non-tender him or tender him a contract and trade him, there's a chance that Vientos goes elsewhere and flourishes, which would leave New York with egg on their face.
Scouts that i've spoken with in recent years believe Vientos can be a 30+ home run slugger, and think that he will be accomplish this feat if he goes to another team. In 2024, he set a career-high with 27 homers in 111 games, slashing .266/.322/.516 with a .838 OPS and 3.1 bWAR in the process. Even in a down year in 2025, Vientos still slugged 17 homers in 121 games. He also has three more years left of club control.
If the Mets hold on to Vientos next season, he could possibly snatch the everyday DH spot if he hits enough. He has done it before in the past, and the Mets could use his right-handed bat if he can return to his 2024 form at the dish. The Mets need to bring in a first baseman and possibly a second baseman, leaving DH as the opening for Vientos and a healthy Jorge Polanco.
The other options aren't great
The other reason for keeping Vientos is that the replacement options on the open market aren't ideal. Bringing back Christopher Morel certainly isn't the answer if they get rid of Vientos, and Alec Bohm would cost substantially more money.
The Mets would be better off riding with Vientos for at least one more year to avoid missing out on a productive power bat, which was showcased in the 2024 season. The organization already looks silly for letting Pete Alonso walk and can't afford to make another mistake by jumping off the Vientos train too early. The other alternatives to take Vientos' spot/role aren't great either.
