If NY Mets history repeats itself, here’s how Mark Vientos’ time in Flushing ends
Break out your crystal balls, it is time for some good old school hypothesis. If there’s one flaw with the New York Mets’ present roster, it is that there are too many cooks in the kitchen in the infield, particularly on the corners. This is not a information flash; opposing groups have been sniffing around Brett Baty and Mark Vientos for the reason that begin of the offseason, with curiosity peaking as soon as the membership signed Bo Bichette.
One of these items just isn’t like the opposite, although. Baty has proven that he has defensive versatilityexhibiting up as satisfactory or higher at third base, first base, second base, and even in the outfield. Vientos, however, does not even play acceptable protection at his pure place on the scorching nook.
We’re simply three video games into the season, however Vientos’s inflexibility is beginning to show to be a detriment. In the opening sequence towards Pittsburgh, he is managed only one at-bat. At a sure level, the Mets will discover that there are higher makes use of for that roster spot, and sure will circle again to the suitors who pursued the 26-year-old over the winter.
How may a commerce for Vientos look? Well, if we return by way of latest history, New York has a possible comp for Vientos in JD Davis, and followers aren’t going to love it if history repeats itself.
Mets followers will probably be sorely upset if a Mark Vientos commerce resembles the return for JD Davis
Vientos arc in New York is paying homage to how issues performed out for Davis as soon as he arrived in Queens. Both gamers seemingly broke out in their third season of MLB motion, with Davis posting a 137 wRC+ in 2019 and Vientos managing a 132 mark in 2024. For each gamers, it was energy that was on the forefront of their offensive assaults.
Both gamers additionally struggled defensively, sapping a lot of their total worth. Still, for some time at the very least, there was optimism. After the pandemic-shortened 2020 marketing campaign, there was optimism that Davis would continue to grow as a participant. He was a contact extra productive than Vientos following his breakout, however as his strikeout fee crossed the 30% threshold and his energy dropped off some, the cracks started to indicate.
The first half of 2022 noticed the underside fall out for Davis. The former Houston Astro slashed simply .238/.324/.359, good for a 99 wRC+. Comparatively, Vientos hit a strikingly related .233/.289/.413 97 wRC+ final season.
At the 2022 deadline, Davis was dealt alongside three minor league arms in trade for then-36-year-old Darin Ruf in considered one of the franchise’s worst deadline trades in recent memory. Ruf was a primary baseman/outfielder kind introduced in to mash lefties, however hit an incredibly unhealthy .152/.216/.197, subtracting a whopping 0.9 fWAR as soon as he arrived in Flushing. After simply 74 plate appearances down the stretch, his Mets tenure was over.
If the Mets have been to commerce Vientos for an additional journeyman platoon bat, it is likely to be seen as a good larger flub than the Davis deal. Even going again to last trade deadline, there was substantial interest in the younger energy bat, however the Mets determined to carry on to him.
It’s too early to inform what they’d get for him in the event that they moved him at this 12 months’s deadline, however the groundwork has been laid for a disappointing, Davis-like return if he continues to battle with the bat and is relegated to part-time obligation. If that is the case, the Mets can have squandered a possible asset and missed a perfect probability to rebalance the roster in a extra favorable method.
