NY Mets may find it hard to trade Mark Vientos if 2023 playoff hero is on the block

MLB Trade Rumors recently listed New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos as one of their top 40 trade candidates heading into the offseason, ranking at number 31. After what looked like a strong breakout performance in 2024, Vientos struggled badly in 2025. However, he's not the only third baseman in MLBTR's list coming off a rough season that once looked like he secured his position on his team for the long run. They also list Texas Rangers' third baseman Josh Jung at number 25. If the Rangers end up shopping Jung, it may make it harder for the Mets to deal Vientos.

When Vientos hit .266/.322/.516 in 2024, it was hard to imagine him being a potential trade candidate after the 2025 season. Vientos provided a ton of power, with 27 home runs in only 454 plate appearances. His .249 isolated slugging percentage was the 11th best among anyone with at least 450 PA's in 2024. Sure, he only had a 29.7% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate, but the bottom line showed an outstanding .356 wOBA and 132 wRC+. He led all NL 3 B's in wRC+, with the only AL hot corner defenders surpassing him being Jose Ramirez and Rafael Devers.

However, 2025 was not nearly as kind to Vientos. He hit just .233/.289/.413 this year, with a .313 wOBA, and 97 wRC+ through 463 plate appearances. His already below-average walk rate fell even further to 6.5%. Vientos still went yard 17 times with a .179 ISO in 463 plate appearances, but it was a massive fall from grace compared to his 2024 power output. The only positive to speak of was his improved K% to 24.9%. By the end of the year, Brett Baty had completley ursurped Vientos at third base.

Just like Vientos, Jung also looked like an integral part of his team not that long ago. Jung was an All-Star rookie who hit .266/.315/.467 with a .334 wOBA and 114 wRC+ in 2023. The former first-round pick slugged 23 homers in 515 plate appearances, posting a .201 ISO. The only downside of his season at the dish was his 5.8% walk rate and 29.3% strikeout rate. But that can be overlooked, given his strong production for a rookie, and the fact that he batted .308 with a .867 OPS in the Postseason during the Rangers' World Series run. That includes seven hits during the World Series.

Texas Rangers' 2023 playoff hero could make it hard for the NY Mets to trade Mark Vientos.

Unfortunately, 2024 was mostly a lost season, as Jung only appeared in 46 games, missing a large portion of the campaign with a fractured right wrist. Jung was able to make it to the plate 511 times in 2025, but the results were a lot like Vientos'. Jung slashed just .251/.294/.390 with a .298 wOBA, and 91 wRC+. Like the Mets' third baseman, Jung lowered his K% to 25.5%, but walked rarely with a 5.3% free pass percentage. His power also dissipated, with only 14 home runs and a .131 isolated slugging percentage.

However, there are a handful of reasons a team may pursue Jung before Vientos. The first is that he has a higher floor. For one, Jung has a higher floor. Jung's defense at third base was significantly better than Vientos's. The former had only -3 defensive runs saved, but +5 outs above average. Meanwhile, Vientos had -10 DRS and -7 OAA. The former was in the 89th percentile of OAA, while the latter was in the 6th percentile. If Jung struggles with the bat, he at least can provide some value with the glove.

Another reason is Jung's contract status compared to Vientos. Jung still has minor league options remaining (three to be exact), while Vientos has no more options remaining. If Jung struggles, he can be sent to Triple-A to work on things. However, if Vientos struggles, the only options are to let him work through it in the Major Leagues and hope he can figure it out there, or designate him for assignment, potentially losing him on waivers. 

There are still reasons a team would want Vientos over Jung. The former has a higher ceiling. Jung did well in 2023, but it wasn't as good as Vientos' 2024. Jung's career exit velocity and barrel rate are 89.4 MPH and 10%, respectively. However, Vientos is far ahead of Jung in these two stats, at 91.1 MPH and 12.2% for his career. This past season, Vientos was still in the 82nd percentile of EV (91.4 MPH) and the 72nd barrel rate (11.5%). Jung was below the 40th percentile of both numbers this past season. Plus, Vientos is heading into his age-26 season next year, while Jung is going into his age-28 campaign.

Vientos is the higher-ceiling, but higher-risk option, while Jung is a lower-floor, but lower-risk alternative. The Mets and the Rangers might be competing for similar teams' interest this offseason when it comes to power-hitting third basemen, which will definitely affect the Mets' ability to trade Vientos if they look to shop him this offseason.