3 Mets players that survived the trade deadline but won’t be back in 2023

If you’re feeling dizzy, it might be part of your recovery from any of the spin you heard or read about what the New York Mets did at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. They left many fans questioning whether or not they did enough. While the team was able to hold onto its top prospects, many were concerned they didn’t add enough.

Time has suggested the Mets did come up a little short in their midseason pursuit of bettering the roster. Instead of discussing the struggles of the new arms and bats they added, let’s focus instead on the guys they could have traded but didn’t.

The Mets ended up trading J.D. Davis in the growingly painful Darin Ruf deal. Many of their other notable trade candidates stayed put including these three that we can expect the team to deal in the winter.

1) NY Mets prospect Mark Vientos will get traded this winter

The Mets definitely do not like Mark Vientos as a part of their future. By not promoting him before the trade deadline and then waiting until more than a week into September to finally call him up, it’s obvious what they think of this former third base prospect turned first baseman/DH.

We can understand why the Mets front office might no longer see him as a fit. Based on his defensive abilities, there’s no real place for him on the Mets other than to take on a DH role. As wide open as that’ll be for them next year, it’s not the best for a young player. Rookies should be able to play the field a contending team. Vientos can but isn’t so good at it.

The Mets have experimented with Vientos in a couple of ways in recent seasons. He moved from third base to left field and saw action at first base, too. It doesn’t really matter where they have put him. He has always been and will probably remain a defensive liability.

Fortunately, his bat has a lot of promise. Vientos can become a prolific home run hitter with a few more at-bats under his belt. Someone else could see him as a fit for their roster as a first baseman/DH. Someone will because the Mets will indeed trade him this offseason.

2) NY Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio will get traded this winter

Ronny Mauricio has yet to taste big league action and it’s hard to see him having a path cleared to do so. A shortstop prospect blocked by Francisco Lindor for the next decade, the next logical place to put him would be second base. However, with Jeff McNeil having an amazing season in 2022 and looking to possibly win a batting title, moving on from him doesn’t seem to be part of the plan.

Whether it’s in the same deal or a different one than Vientos, the Mets should start to lean toward trading Mauricio before his value tanks.

Mauricio remains an intriguing Mets prospect whose value with the franchise has only decreased because of the major leaguers they have and more recent draft picks. He has added power to his repertoire which only helps add interest from other ball clubs.

The Mets might always pull a fast one on us and trade McNeil instead but the timing of replacing him with Mauricio wouldn’t line up. Instead, maybe they plan to play Luis Guillorme as a starting second baseman. The biggest trouble with this scenario is what the team could even get in return for McNeil. He’s a uniquely talented player that can always fill in for them at a corner outfield spot.

A more practical trade that would make sense for them is sending Mauricio to another team to help in an area of need.