Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, Kodai Senga and Mark Vientos are all career-long Mets. They have something else in common: their names have popped up in trade rumors.
Let’s take a look at how they did in 2025, their contracts and how moving each of them might affect the roster. (Assume for the sake of this exercise that the player coming back is a pitcher, which is the Mets’ greatest need.)
Jeff McNeil
McNeil, 33, hit .243/.335/.411 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs this year in posting 2.0 bWAR. He started 69 games at second, 28 in center, and seven in the corner outfield spots, so he provided versatility on defense. (His glove was worth four outs above average at second and negative-1 in center, per Baseball Savant.)
Moving McNeil would open playing time for Brett Baty and/or Luisangel Acuña at second. It would hand more playing time to Tyrone Taylor and David Stearns said prospect Carson Benge, who started 63 games in center at three minor-league levels this year, will have a chance to make the team out of spring training. Benge also started 25 games in right and 22 in left.
McNeil will earn $15.75 million in 2026, his potentially final season of a four-year, $50 million contract. The Mets have a $15.75 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout.
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Brandon Nimmo
Nimmo hit .262/.324/.436 with career highs in homers (25), RBIs (92) and games played (155). He stole 13 bases and accumulated 2.9 bWAR.
If Nimmo were traded, Juan Soto could move to left field, where he might fare better. Soto was negative-12 outs above average in right last year, tied with Nick Castellanos for worst among right fielders in MLB. Again, a spot would clear for Benge, whose .385 OBP recalls a younger Nimmo.
Nimmo, 32, is signed through 2030 at $20.5 million per year and the Mets would likely have to eat some of the contract to strike a deal. He also has the right to veto any trade since he has 10 years of MLB service and five with the Mets.
Kodai Senga
Senga went 7-6 with a 3.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and struck out 109 in 113 1/3 innings pitched, but his season was night and day before and after he strained a hamstring covering first base on June 12. His ERA was 1.47 over 73 2/3 innings when he got hurt. It was 5.90 in the 39 2/3 innings that came afterward. He accepted a demotion to the minor leagues in September.
Trading Senga would open a spot in the rotation, but that could be filled by an acquired pitcher. If the Mets didn’t bring in a starter, it would create an interesting competition among the Mets’ young arms. Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong and Christian Scott are all looking to crack the rotation.
Senga, 32, will earn $14 million over each of the next two seasons. In 2028, New York has a $15 million team option that activates only if he undergoes Tommy John surgery or a right elbow injury that keeps him on the injured list for 130+ days. Senga also has a 10-team no-trade list.
Mark Vientos
Vientos hit .233/.289/.413 with 17 homers and 61 RBIs this year, a stunning drop-off after he belted 27 homers in 2024. (His bWAR was negative-0.2 after coming in at 3.1 the year before.)
He started 69 games at third and 39 at DH, so his absence would allow Baty (60 starts at third in 2025, 46 at second) even more time at third, maybe allow room for Ronny Mauricio, and open up at-bats at DH.
With 2.1 years of service in the majors, Vientos, 25, will earn an estimated $820,000 next season.
