Ryan Clifford
With Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Mets now have to figure out who will be their Opening Day first baseman. With the team giving all indications they were interested in moving on from Alonso, it would appear the team can now set those plans in motion.
The suggestion of Paul Goldschmidt was just bad. Goldschmidt was barely a league average hitter with a 104 OPS+. That was his second straight season at that mark.
Defensively, he dropped to a -2 OAA. That’s far better than Alonso, but it’s still below average. You can’t be a below average first baseman and not hit.
There was the Willson Contreras suggestion. This is an interesting one, and it is one that could potentially be a fit.
Now, Wilson was a surprise defensively with a 4 OAA at first. That does marry with David Stearns’ run prevention mantra. He’s still at a 123 OPS+ marking the fourth straight season he was at that mark or better.
Contreras has only two years remaining on his deal, and that would seem to marry the Mets vision of not having deals larger than three years added to the payroll this offseason.
Contreras would make the Mets better. Certainly more that they are at the moment. However, it is the trade aspect that is a problem.
The Mets are looking to eventually have a youth movement. Nolan McLean is already the staff ace. Carson Benge is already in discussions to be the Opening Day center fielder. They are looking for the when and where with Jett Williams.
They are also bracing for a potential salary cap after this season, and/or more stringent constraints on their ability to flex their financial muscle. Certainly, it cannot be a coincidence the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are focused on three year deals this offseason.
If that is the case, why not give Mark Vientos a shot at first base. Why waste prospect capital? Why not hand the reigns to someone who has hit 27 homers for you and has had a great postseason. Moreover, the Mets were ready to give him the job last year if Alonso did not take the job.
We can all admit 2025 was a bad season for Vientos. It was for the 2025 Mets, but one bad year is a dumb way to form judgments on players. Players have ups and downs, and we should not judge a player off one bad season. If that was the case, Alonso would have been gone after the COVID year.
In 2025, Vientos still had strong exit velocity numbers, and he had the same launch angle. He has also admitted his approach entering the 2025 season led to some of his struggles. There were also the injuries.
Defensively, the Mets have moved on from him at third, and that is understandable. That said, he was always best suited for first base. That was never quite a discussion because he was blocked by Alonso. Not anymore.
We can’t really look at the 0 OAA at first last year because he had all of six attempts. Instead, we need to look at his skill set. The best thing about Vientos has always been his soft hands. That will play very well at first.
Vientos has the skill set to be good at first, and he has the bat. This is a Mets team in transition, and when you are in transition, you let players like Vientos step up and prove themselves.
If he steps up like he did in 2024, you have a potential All-Star at first base. You have first base figured out for the long term without having to waste any prospect capital.
If you’re wrong, well, you still have players like Ryan Clifford forcing their way to the majors. You can sign a 1B/DH for insurance. You can insulate yourselves.
However, in the end, if you are building more for 2026, Vientos getting a chance is the best option. We know what a game changer he can be, and he can be the one to put the Mets over the top.
Well, it looks like Harrison Bader will not be returning to the New York Mets because the Mets obtained Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Eric Orze.
Siri, 29, is a year younger than Bader and essentially does the same exact thing Bader did last year.
In 2024, Siri had a 16 OAA to Bader’s 10. Over the past three years, Siri leads in OAA 16 to 14.
Siri is one of the fastest players in baseball with a sprint speed of 29.9 ft/sec. Bader was also quick, but he was at a 28.2. It’s one of the reasons Bader was a -1 Runner Run last year to Siri’s 2.
Where Bader is better is hitting. Last year, Bader was an 85 wRC+ and has a 90 wRC+ for his career. Siri had a 70 wRC+ and an 89 for his career.
Against left-handed pitchers, Bader had a 70 wRC+ against lefties and for his career it’s a 109. Siri had a 92 wRC+ against lefties last year and has a 76 for his career.
Siri rarely walks and strikes out far too often. He does have a good barrel rate, but his exit velocities are low. If you get the right hitting coach, maybe you could unlock something, but it’s highly unlikely.
In reality, Siri is nothing more than a defensive specialist. That’s all the Mets need from their fifth outfielder making him a much better fit for the role than Bader would be.
That’s no slight on Bader who was a great fit for the Mets last year. It’s just that Siri will be a better fit for a team looking to sign Juan Soto while also having Jett Williams and Ryan Clifford on the horizon.
Siri was just the better fit for a defensive replacement and specialist. Bader is probably better, but Siri fits the role better. Getting him for a reliever the Mets won’t use just makes this a smart move.
The New York Mets have a lot of decisions to make at the trade deadline. With Kodai Senga out for the season and Christian Scott dealing with a UCL issue, they have to decide just how much they can go in on this season.
There are some big options available that could change the dynamics of the Mets this year and the ensuing years. We see former Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on the market, and Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skrubal potentially available.
For players like Skrubal, you have to open the farm and make a trade that hurts. Looking at the Mets farm system, they do have one top prospect who can be dealt more than others.
That is Drew Gilbert.
Keep in mind what this is, and what this isn’t. Nowhere is this saying trade Gilbert, and this is not suggesting he’s a bust. Rather, looking at the Mets future plans, he may be an odd man out.
Brandon Nimmo will be in left (or right) field through the 2030 season. Center field and second will likely be split somehow between Luisangel Acuña and Jett Williams. That would leave right field for Gilbert.
Maybe.
The Mets are already rumored to be going hard after Juan Soto this coming offseason. If that doesn’t pan out, they could keep Jesse Winker for a few years while other top prospects in Ryan Clifford make their way to the majors.
There’s also the matter of what to do with Jeff McNeil and Ronny Mauricio. Each of them could be a stopgap to buy time for other prospects. For all we know, Mauricio can claim the right field job outright.
Again, this is not saying these are better options than what Gilbert could provide. Only Soto would definitively be better. Rather, this is saying the Mets could make him available in the right trade and be able to successfully pivot.
For Skrubal, the Mets should be comfortable giving Gilbert plus. For Snell, it’s an overpay the Mets probably don’t want to pay for an ace on a bad season. There may be other options.
The Mets can change the franchise for the better at this trade deadline. They did that in trading away their aces last year to get a crop of prospects like Gilbert. Now, the question is how does Gilbert now best help this franchise.