Trading Drew Gilbert was easy because the NY Mets fell in love with another prospect

This isn't softball. Your team only needs one starting center fielder.
2025 MLB All-Star Week: Futures Game
2025 MLB All-Star Week: Futures Game | Jamie Squire/GettyImages

Drew Gilbert fell out of favor with the New York Mets the last two seasons. Despite a hot couple of weeks in Triple-A, the team didn’t view him as a potential center field solution this year. So, they traded him to the San Francisco Giants in their package to acquire Tyler Rogers.

A part of the reason why Gilbert became expendable is, according to SNY regular John Harper, due to their love for another.

Where Gilbert has failed, Carson Benge has thrived.

Carson Benge is a new favorite to enter the Mets CF mix in short order

Benge is absolutely crushing it in Double-A. Through 106 plate appearances, the club’s first round selection from 2024 is slashing .371/.472/.652 with 7 home runs. The power surge is especially impressive after clubbing just 4 with Brooklyn in 271 trips to the plate. Benge did wrap up his time there with other good results, including a batting average over .300 and 15 stolen bases.

It sounds like the Mets have seen enough out of Benge already after 98 games in the minors to have some sort of commitment to him being their center fielder of the future. A fellow left-handed swinger with an arm good enough to pitch well enough in college that it was a possibility he'd remain a two-way player in the pros, there's a lot to like about him before even seeing him in live game action.

Center field is a difficult position to fill, but the Mets seem to have a couple of choices for the future. Jett Williams is a converted shortstop seeing lots of action at the position. He has logged 16 games there with Nick Morabito, last year’s Position Player Prospect of the Year for the Mets getting the majority of them.

It’s not unusual for teams to have a center field surplus as well as too many shortstops than they know what to do with. Generally, many center fielders turn into corner outfielders and shortstops end up at any other spot on the field entirely. Gilbert was the one closest to the majors, but a less than stellar performance in Triple-A was enough to convince the Mets their heart belonged to another, Benge.