While the Mets might have cleaned house over the offseason, they tore down the roster more recently at the 2023 deadline, trading away stars and major league veterans.

The biggest trade, at the time, was sending Max Scherzer to the Rangers for Luisangel Acuña, who was part of the trade package for Luis Robert Jr. this offseason. The next largest trade sent Justin Verlander to the Astros for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. Gilbert was traded in a package of players for Tyler Rogers at the 2025 deadline.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Ryan Clifford is all that remains from the two big trades the Mets made in the 2023 deadline, and he’s back in camp with a non-roster invitation this spring. He’s coming off a couple of successful seasons at the minor league level. Previously blocked by Pete Alonso, Jorge Polanco is the lone major league “first baseman” standing in his way.

Clifford was ranked the 86th prospect in baseball in February by Baseball Prospectus, which ranked seven players in the top 101. MLB Pipeline had Clifford as the sixth-best prospect in the Mets system at the end of 2025, with a projection that the first baseman/outfielder will debut for the Mets during the 2026 season.

In 2024, Clifford hit .228/.372/.421 across Brooklyn and Binghamton. His power really popped once he got to Binghamton, hitting 18 homers over 99 games with a 133 WRC+, which was third in the Eastern League. His power ascension continued in 2025, when he slashed .237/.356/.470 in Binghamton and Syracuse, hitting 29 home runs and 23 doubles.

Clifford’s numbers fed into the Pete Alonso debate this offseason. Arguments against signing Pete Alonso to any deal longer than three years centered around Ryan Clifford’s future. After Alonso signed with the Orioles, Clifford’s name popped up as a possible solution (with Vientos) before the Mets signed Jorge Polanco. The Polanco contract takes the pressure off Clifford for now.

That leaves Clifford with a few different paths to the majors, which are all contingent on him playing well in Syracuse in 2026. Barring injuries to Polanco, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty (as well as defensive metrics), Clifford will have to stay put in Syracuse for the time being. However, he could be the starting first baseman for the Mets in 2027 if there is more shifting around the Mets’ infield. However, David Stearns has preached defensive versatility in his roster construction for 2026, and with Baty, Vientos, Polanco and Ronny Mauricio (in the event of a Bo Bichette opt-out after a year), the Mets might be set. The Mets could also be looking all the way to the 2027 trade deadline, trading Polanco with a couple of months left on his deal and starting Clifford’s time in the majors then.

Clifford’s other path to the majors involves the outfield. He played in the outfield about 40% of the time in 2025. The Mets prefer Carson Benge for the open right field spot, especially since the stop-gap plan seems to be Brett Baty, Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez. If Clifford gets off to a really hot start in Syracuse, he could force himself into the conversation at some point during the season. This path seems less likely than the infield.

Clifford is a prospect who will be ready to take that next step to the majors either this season or next season. With multiple players blocking his path, it’s difficult to see exactly where he fits in. A strong start in the minors could force his name into the conversation or make him into a trade piece for the July deadline.