There’s a NY Mets player not named Mark Vientos who could get pushed aside

Carson Benge officially making the Mets' Opening Day roster was a great way for the team to cap off a productive offseason and hit the ground running in 2026. It finally answered one of the lingering outfield roster questions and was the perfect backup option following Mike Tauchman's recent injury news. However, the Mets still have another right fielder on the depth chart who, while capable, may not offer enough value to warrant playing time this year.

Tyrone Taylor could struggle to get on the field with the amount of talent in the Mets' outfield

Taylor has been a solid contributor ever since he was acquired in a trade with the Brewers in December 2023. In the two years since joining the team, he has accumulated 3.1 rWAR over 686 plate appearances. He has never been an everyday player due to his limited offensive capabilities, averaging an 84 OPS+ over his tenure thus far, but he has been an incredible defensive asset for the team, posting a total of 18 Defensive Runs Saved as a Met thus far.

But depending on how Carson Benge gets settled into his role in right field, Taylor's role may soon become obsolete. Benge's fielding abilities aren't too shabby either and based on his 150 wRC+ in the minor leagues last year, simply brings more to the table. If Benge moves over to center field, Taylor will still have to contend with Mike Tauchman for playing time.

This puts the Mets in quite a pickle. On one hand, he's not quite good enough to demand a starting spot or regular playing time with the team's current outfield orientation. On the other hand, he has proven himself to be more than good enough to be a lineup mainstay for any MLB organization that needs to bolster their outfield. These two factors make him more valuable as a trade asset for this year's deadline than a backup depth piece.

Of course, this all depends on whether Carson Benge is able to be as good as advertised. Playing in the big leagues is quite a step up from the minors. It can be a jarring adjustment even for players with outstanding numbers in college and great prospect grades from scouts. If he needs more time to develop, there could be just enough plate appearances for him to stick around.

For this reason, the front office likely isn't in a rush to get rid of him. They'll need to see what Benge can do in the majors before making a final decision to trim their roster and until then, Taylor is a useful understudy. In his final year under club control, his future in Queens is far from certain but with some things still up in the air, his place on the team is safe, at least for now.