3 teams the NY Mets should call for a Mark Vientos trade before cutting him loose

Playing “stay or go?” with Mark Vientos is kind of futile. The New York Mets have shown plenty of disinterest in keeping him around. Most fans are ready for what’s next, too.

His future definitely doesn’t include wearing orange, blue, and representing Queens. Whether traded or non-tendered and signed to a new contract, he’s going to be playing ball in 2027, lockout pending.

Which teams could circle? These three teams could make a lot of sense because of their need at first base, DH, and/or hitting lefties. Before the non-tender deadline, the Mets owe these clubs a phone call.

Three landing spots for Mark Vientos if the Mets officially move on

1) Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks actually excelled at hitting against lefties in 2026. Their .782 OPS against southpaws was second to only the Chicago Cubs. He’s not a match for them in that regard. He is when we look at how their first basemen and DHs performed.

Arizona’s .636 OPS from their first basemen was the worst in MLB. The .630 OPS from their DHs was worse. The current depth chart has righty Tim Tawa listed as their first baseman and lefty Pavin Smith as the DH. They need something and with those two positions unfulfilled, Vientos feels like someone worthy of a trial.

2) San Diego Padres

Along with losing Ty France to free agency, the San Diego Padres have several other openings on the roster. They were willing to take a chance on Nick Castellanos. Miguel Andujar is on a mutual option that would pay him $8 million if picked up and $2.5 million as a buyout. He's not an $8 million player. Vientos, as a cheap slugging option, seems to fit the theme of what they did a lot of in 2026 for both the better and worse.

Their .628 OPS out of their DHs in 2026 send out a warning that they need to do something different at the position in 2027. Andujar and Gavin Sheets had a large share of those plate appearances. Along with their need for some first base reinforcements, Vientos feels like a match.

3) Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are still alive in the MLB playoffs even with a less than fantastic result from their first basemen. A .675 OPS against lefties in the regular season ranked 27th. They aren’t in desperate need for Vientos. He can, however, easily become an alternative to Rhys Hoskins.

Hoskins hit .179 in over 300 plate appearances. Not someone who should have much of a future with the Guardians, giving the younger Vientos an opportunity to win some at-bats could make sense for this tight-budgeted ball club who should remain keen on adding players other teams gave up on too quickly and at a bargain rate.

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