Red Sox-Mets Mock Blockbuster Brings Mark Vientos, Sean Manaea to Boston

This one would melt the entire baseball internet...

Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets third baseman Mark Vientos (27) gets ready to bat during the New York Mets spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's roster has a lot of logjams, so the mock trade machine is bound to keep whirring all the way through the end of July.

Boston has too many outfielders to guarantee designated hitter Masataka Yoshida much playing time this year, but he's owed $37.3 million over the next two seasons. Meanwhile, there's still widespread concern about Boston's lack of home run power in the lineup.

All of those concerns prompted Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer to propose a mock blockbuster on Wednesday with the New York Mets.

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Evaluating wild, unlikely Red Sox-Mets trade idea

Feb 17, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) works during spring training at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

In Rymer's pitch, the Red Sox would acquire third baseman Mark Vientos, starting pitcher Sean Manaea, and cash considerations from the Mets in exchange for Yoshida and lefty pitching prospect Connelly Early, whose inclusion in any deal would immediately give most Red Sox fans pause.

"The Red Sox raised their floor this winter, but their ceiling is still limited by their shortage of home run power. As he hit 27 homers in 2024 and is still just 26 years old, Vientos would be an upside power play who would arrive with club control through 2029," wrote Rymer.

"Yoshida doesn't have a clear path to playing time in the outfield or at designated hitter. So as long as New York covered the $12.2 million gap between what Yoshida and Manaea are owed through 2027, effectively swapping Yoshida out for a No. 5 starter would work in Boston's favor."

Vientos was known to be of interest to the Red Sox in 2022 in trade discussions centering on J.D. Martinez and Christian Vázquez. He broke out with a 27-homer campaign in only 111 games two years ago, but he backslid last year and posted negative-0.2 bWAR in 121 games.

More importantly, there's a very real chance that Early is already better than Manaea, who had a 5.64 ERA in his 15 outings last year after oblique and elbow injuries derailed the first half of his season. He's also going to be under control through the 2032 season if Boston leaves him in the minors for the first five weeks after opening day.

So although there's a lot going on here, the inclusion of Early would probably derail this negotiation in reality if the Mets' front office were to pitch the Red Sox.