This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
NEW YORK — Here in November, before the Hot Stove truly swings into action, rumors abound. The names of several Mets — some surprising, others less so — have already popped up in trade whispers. I’d like to take this newsletter space to address several of them, and why trades of those players may or may not make sense.
Kodai Senga
On the surface, Senga would appear to be a sell-low candidate, begging the question: Why would the Mets do that?
The reality is that while Senga is a sell-low candidate in some respects, there’s clearly enough value there for rival teams to harbor interest. Yes, Senga is coming off another injury-plagued season in which he battled his mechanics, made just 22 starts and finished with a 6.56 ERA over his final eight outings. He was also a borderline National League All-Star in the first half and is two years removed from garnering NL Cy Young votes. Plus, Senga is relatively cheap even for a mid-rotation starter, with $30 million owed to him the next two seasons.
So why would the Mets trade him? One, because they already have plenty of rotation depth in Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong and Christian Scott, not to mention another wave of pitching prospects coming behind them. While Senga carries as much upside as anyone in that group, he also complicates the rotation given his history of typically pitching only once every six games. Trading him would open a spot for the Mets to acquire a more established frontline arm with a longer track record of reliability.
It would be a risk, to the extent that it’s possible Senga might rediscover his health and thrive elsewhere. But there’s method behind the Mets’ thinking here.
Mark Vientos
Asked Friday at a “Metsgiving” charity event about the trade rumors that have dogged him throughout his young career, Vientos replied: “There’s always talks. I think I’ve been doing a better job of turning my phone off and staying focused on what’s going on in the present.”
This offseason, Vientos said he’s been taking equal amounts of defensive reps at first and third base. While increased versatility for Vientos would give the Mets a bit more leverage in their Pete Alonso negotiations, it would also make him more valuable as a trade chip. Much like Senga, Vientos has shown enough in his young career to pique the interest of rival clubs. There’s also no clear spot for him in Flushing, unless the Mets are willing to give Vientos the lion’s share of DH reps — doubtful, at this point. For those reasons, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him go.
Jeff McNeil
If it seems like McNeil’s name has come up in trade rumors every offseason since he signed a four-year, $50 million extension before the 2023 campaign, that’s because it has. Each time, Mets officials have ultimately balked at the idea of trading McNeil, in large part because of his versatility. That much hasn’t changed. What has changed is that McNeil now has only one year and $17.75 million remaining on his contract, which is a sum many teams could assume without much trouble.
Trading McNeil would create a clearer path for younger players like Ronny Mauricio and, behind him, Jett Williams to contribute. But it would also remove a fail-safe from this roster; even at his worst, McNeil has provided adequate defense at multiple positions while proving to be a pesky at-bat. He’s coming off his best offensive season since 2022. Would the Mets give that up on a lark?
Brandon Nimmo
President of baseball operations David Stearns has stated in clear terms that he wants the Mets’ defense to improve. But if the entire core returns, including Alonso at first base and Juan Soto in right field, there are precious few spots where that could occur.
One of them is left field, where Nimmo — for the first time in half a decade — finished with a negative outs above average total. Entering his age-33 season, Nimmo isn’t likely to improve defensively in a meaningful way, and he’s now two seasons removed from what’s looking more and more like a career year at the plate. He may never replicate that production, even if he continues to stay healthy.
Dealing Nimmo, though, would be difficult for multiple reasons. One is that the Mets owe him $102.5 million through his age-37 season, which is a far greater obligation than many trading partners would be willing to assume. The second is that he owns a full no-trade clause. The third is that he’s one of the most popular Mets of this era; selling a trade to the fan base wouldn’t be as easy as, say, selling a trade of McNeil. For all those reasons, it seems unlikely Nimmo will end up anywhere other than back in left field next season.
