This more complete version of Mark Vientos feels like reasonable NY Mets trade target

If the New York Mets are going to stick with Jared Young as a regular at first base, they’re going to need to find a better platoon partner. Mark Vientos isn’t going to cut it. His defense was some of the worst in the sport. Offensively, he’s too bad against right-handed pitchers and not good enough against lefties.

If it’s a trade the Mets make, they need someone who can do at least three of those things better. Defense feels like an absolute must yet not a priority. Some level of competency against righties as well as a tendency to smack around lefties is a must.

This brings us to a familiar Mets trade partner. The Texas Rangers, nearing a one-year anniversary of swapping Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, can provide one solution. Their first baseman in 2026 was a lot of what the Mets hoped Vientos could have been. Even with the credentials of a converted third baseman who shifted across the diamond, Jake Burger feels very much like the type of player the Mets could use to pair alongside Young while giving them emergency third base protection.

Jake Burger looks like the kind of player the Mets wanted Mark Vientos to become

Burger didn’t have a monster season. His .228/.302/.421 slash line isn’t so fantastic. Other numbers fill in some blanks. He hit 28 home runs and drove in 90. His 1 OAA was in the 72nd percentile. We’re starting to understand where he can fit in.

Burger had a much more balanced season at the plate, too. His .659 OPS against righties paled in comparison to the .892 against lefties. Both were better than what Vientos did. Vientos had a .538 OPS vs. right-handed pitchers and an .809 against southpaws. The clear cut better player, Burger checks off each of the boxes.

A speculated yet not rumored trade candidate at the moment, we can understand why the Rangers might feel it’s necessary to move on. He’ll enter his second year of arbitration eligibility next year which puts him closer to free agency and adds to his salary. It’s not a significant total he’ll get, but for a Rangers team in need of some changes, trading a guy who clearly fits best as the right-handed half of a platoon makes sense.

He’s no random success story either. Burger was the 11th overall pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2017. His big break came in 2023 and at the trade deadline, Chicago traded him to the Miami Marlins where he enjoyed a year and a half of success.

Like a lot of sluggers, Burger strikes out too much and hasn’t been capable of drawing enough walks. This past season, the latter improved significantly. He went from a 3.2 BB% in 2025 to 9% in 2026.

The Mets wouldn’t be asking Burger to become their starter at first base with Young as the first option against righties. What he’d be able to do is solidly fill in against lefties and not be so unusable against right-handed pitchers if needed. His third base days are probably over with having not played there since 2024 with the Marlins. In a pinch, he could go back over there.

Going from Vientos to Burger isn’t perfect. What’s to say Vientos doesn’t have a few things click again like they did in 2024? It’s the defensive inefficiency of Vientos in comparison to how well Burger handled the position this past season that differentiates them the most.

We’d like to think the Mets have some solutions or candidates in the minors to take on the role. Ryan Clifford’s Triple-A struggles last year, Billy Amick’s tendency to K frequently, and Jacob Reimer being more of a prospect by reputation than results should have the Mets considering something ready-made. 

It’s doubtful the Mets give up anything significant for a guy they’d project to play the shorter half of a platoon. But it is a role they need and with a heavy Rule 5 Draft lot, there are prospects they’ll need to decide on.

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