3 Mets players who definitely won't get traded before Opening Day and 3 who still could

How likely are the New York Mets to actually trade a player from their 40-man roster? Not just one of those fringe pieces either. A returning player with some sort of value or maybe burdening the payroll.

The Mets haven’t subtracted anyone major from the roster this offseason, but now only one week into January, there’s time for David Stearns to change things around. These six have been talked about plenty in trade rumors or speculation by fans. Three definitely aren’t going anywhere. The other half could still be on the move.

The Mets aren't trading Pete Alonso

Fear not, Mets fans. Pete Alonso is staying in Queens at least a little longer. To turn around and trade him would be the surprise of the century. The Mets may not be attacking the offseason head on. They're still far from tank mode which is the only one they'd be in if Alonso isn't on the roster for Opening Day.

Alonso trade rumors began at last year's deadline and only grew as time went on. A change in the front office only furthered the speculation. Could the Mets actually deal away one of their best players? End the debate now. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to stir up trouble. They probably root for the Yankees anyway.

The regular season will be a far different story for Alonso. If the Mets fall out of the playoff race, he’ll be primed to become one of the top trade deadline chips on the market. As if that isn’t bad enough to deal with, his impending free agency will drive fans up the wall wondering how soon their Alonso jerseys will go from current to the clearance rack.

The Mets could still trade Drew Smith

Before tendering Drew Smith, there were Mets rumors about them looking at a possible trade. They ended up doing the right thing. You don't get rid of a reliever of his ability without getting something back in return. As down on him as we should be for last year’s performance, there is upside and there are innings for him to toss. Still, the possibility of a trade looms.

Exactly what could the Mets get back for Smith in a trade? If he is on the block, a trade similar to the Miguel Castro for Joely Rodriguez deal makes sense.

Prior to the 2022 season, the Mets and New York Yankees swapped relievers. Rodriguez became the Mets' solution to their lack of a southpaw in the bullpen. The word solution is being used freely here. He was nothing spectacular.

Although the Mets have some free agent lefties they could sign, trading Smith for one is a direction to consider. Along with this, dealing Smith who is now one year away from free agency for someone with much control works. How about a guy with minor league options? It may feel like a loss for the Mets at first glance. The trade would have a chance to age much better.

The Mets aren’t trading Jose Quintana

Long before the Mets started buying, there was some thought they could make Jose Quintana a trade chip. Well, that's no longer the case. Now appearing to be much more of a bargain based on the contract he signed last winter, Quintana is far more valuable to keep around to give this ball club any shot at competing.

Consider Quintana a one-year free agent pull by the Mets this offseason. At $13 million, he's right there alongside what many others are getting paid, perhaps slightly discounted too based on his abilities.

Beyond just how favorable his contract looks is the obvious need for the Mets in their rotation. Subtracting Quintana now would be counterintuitive to everything they have done, the pitchers they have signed, and the ones they have passed on. Many of the free agents available are inferior. Swapping him for another pitcher in a trade would just be a strange move, but not impossible.

Quintana could be as high as the number two pitcher in the Mets rotation this coming year. Their chance to trade him was early on in the offseason when they had alternatives to look at. He’s staying put for now. Let their addition of Sean Manaea confirm it.

The Mets aren’t trading Starling Marte

The Mets can find someone to take Narvaez. They won't nor do they seem interested in dumping Starling Marte. Two years remain on his contract. Rather than pay him to go away, the Mets appear poised to give him another shot to do what he did for them in 2022; play really good baseball.

Marte hasn't been the same since the injuries began popping up in the final months of 2022. Plagued last season with them yet again, it showed in his performance. Marte can still run but his defense was a mess and his offense relegated him to being a singles hitter whenever he did make contact.

Marte's doubters could easily be proven right that the speedy outfielder has lost his touch and should have been dealt in the offseason. Everyone has their limits, however. Steve Cohen can’t pay every player on the decline to go away. With as much as the Mets will continue to owe Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander this year, the smarter gamble is to see what Marte can do even if it’s in a more limited capacity.

Apologies to those hopeful we wouldn’t see Marte in a Mets uniform this year. He’ll be back. Hopefully, actually on the field and looking more like himself.

The Mets could still trade Mark Vientos

The Mets probably won’t trade Mark Vientos for a couple of reasons, but the justification for doing so is comprehensible. He was already the third guy in the expected third base competition between Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio. The injury to the latter may have moved Vientos up the depth chart slightly, but it doesn’t really mean the Mets will give him all that serious of a look at the position.

We’ve seen how much this regime values defense. It’s the one weakness in Vientos’ game holding him back from any consistent major league playing time. With the Mets already possibly looking to add more third base help on top of having Joey Wendle on the roster, it does seem as if Vientos is back to not having much of a role.

The same problems Vientos has with the Mets are ones other teams would have if they added him. Vientos is a DH who hasn’t done a whole lot of hitting at the major league level just yet. While not given nearly enough of a chance to play consistently, it’s the poor defensive reputation that has regularly put the team into a position where they don’t have room for him.

Will the Mets actually throw a curveball and deal him? The probability is much higher than it is for many other players. Vientos has one minor league option remaining and if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster the final one will be used. His value will only get worse once there is no choice but to keep him in the majors.