A more intriguing NY Mets trade candidate than Mark Vientos

The "baby Mets" have been tied to numerous trade rumors over the past year. This group includes Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. And these rumors will only increase in the offseason after disappointing campaigns from this trio. But there's another intriguing trade candidate the Mets have and that's Jonah Tong.

It's hard to believe that Tong would be a trade candidate considering the Mets wouldn't deal him to the Milwaukee Brewers for Freddy Peralta last winter. They instead sent starter Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams to Milwaukee for Peralta and Tobias Myers. Sproat has struggled immensely this year to a 5.57 ERA in 22 big league appearances (19 starts). However, Tong has had an up and down year as well.

Jonah Tong's uneven year with the Mets

What got Tong to the majors last season at the age of 22 was his fastball-changeup combination and aggressive formula of attacking hitters. It led to him leading the minor leagues with a 1.43 ERA and 179 strikeouts. But once he got to the major leagues, Tong produced a 7.71 ERA in five starts for the Mets.

This year, Tong changed his arm angle and added a cutter to his arsenal. These changes have brought along mixed results and growing pains. Tong had a 4.54 ERA in 23 starts for Triple-A Syracuse this season. That being said, he did pitch much better across his final seven starts in the minors. Tong allowed two runs or less in seven of his last eight starts in Triple-A.

The right-hander has been limited to just four appearances (one start) in the big leagues this season. He was recently recalled to start against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 7, where he struck out seven batters but allowed four runs across five innings. He now has a 6.42 ERA in nine MLB appearances, with six of them being starts.

Should the Mets trade Jonah Tong?

Tong is the Mets' No. 1 ranked prospect, according to Baseball America. This winter, the Mets will have to evaluate whether Tong is still a part of their long-term plan after an uneven year in the minors.

However, Tong is still just 23 years old and has shown loads of potential. When he attacks hitters, he is at his best. The Mets have a young rotation featuring Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton, and Tong can fit into that puzzle next year if he can find consistency.

If the Mets were to trade Tong, it would likely be to fill a need elsewhere such as first base. Tong's season makes him a potential trade candidate, but the Mets shouldn't give up on him so soon or sell low on him.

The Mets would be wise to hold onto Tong for at least another year to see if he can be a future piece of the core.

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