Teams Interested in Trading for Pair of Mets’ Sluggers

Brett Baty and Mark Vientos could be on the move.

May 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) celebrates with New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty (7) after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the New York Mets' infield is going to look very different in 2026. However, what the new arrivals will mean for infielders Brett Baty and Mark Vientos is yet to be revealed.

Steve Cohen and David Stearns have overseen ambitious roster moves and difficult personnel decisions this offseason. Most notably, longtime stalwart first baseman Pete Alonso departed in free agency, while the Mets acquired infielders Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien. The trio are all established major leaguers with considerable offensive upside, with Bichette and Polanco in particular expected to regularly feature in the top half of the Mets' batting order.

As a result, when forecasting the Mets' starting lineup in 2026, there's a realistic scenario where neither Baty nor Vientos crack it. This has prompted trade rumors to swirl around the two infielders, with the Pittsburgh Pirates reportedly interested.

On Mets Hot Stove, @WillSammon reports that there are teams interested in trading for Brett Baty, and discusses his & Mark Vientos' future with the Mets pic.twitter.com/9Pf4KjPazP

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 5, 2026

As covered by Mets On SI this winter, manager Carlos Mendoza plans on deploying Bichette as the everyday third baseman and Polanco as a first baseman, while Semien will slot in at second base (his natural position). In fact, Polanco and Bichette have each played just one game at first base and third base, respectively, over their entire careers to this point.

Read More: New York Mets Projected Odds for the 2026 Season

Last season, Bichette was the everyday star shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays to the tune of 1,139 innings played, while Polanco split his time at second base (287.1 innings) and third base (43 innings) with the Seattle Mariners. It's also worth noting that both Bichette and Polanco experienced their fair share of struggles in the field in 2025, with Bichette posting -12 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Polanco accounting for -2 DRS.

Meanwhile, Semien won the 2025 American League Gold Glove for his play as the Texas Rangers' everyday second baseman, with a respectable +5 DRS for the season.

In 2025, Vientos' -10 DRS in just 556.0 innings manning the hot corner is cause for concern, while Baty showed significant improvement in the field at both second (+3 DRS in 373 innings) and third base (+4 DRS in 573 innings). Vientos was also unable to carry on the success of his 2024 breakout at the plate, recording a .233/.289/.413 slash line with 17 homers and 61 RBIs in 463 plate appearances. In contrast, Baty recorded career-best marks with a .254/.313/.435 slash line, adding 18 round-trippers and 50 RBIs in 432 plate appearances.

Entering 2026, Baty's stock is up, while Vientos' stock is down. They're both just 26 years old and are under team control through 2029. Regardless, the Mets have World Series ambitions, a crowded infield, and one DH spot up for grabs in the lineup.

The Pirates' reported interest in Baty and Vientos represents their dearth of infield power bats. However, it hasn't been reported what the Mets would demand in return, or what a potential trade between the two ballclubs might look like. It will be very interesting to see if the Mets decide to trade either (or both) of them before Opening Day.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.