What happened: New York Mets infielder Mark Vientos enters the winter as a potential trade chip after failing to reclaim an everyday lineup spot in 2026. The 26-year-old opened the season in a right-handed platoon role at designated hitter before injuries to Jorge Polanco pushed him into regular action at first base. Following a 10-for-21 start in early April, a 0-for-23 slump and a 7-for-48 June relegated him to late-game pinch-hitting duties against left-handed pitching.

Why it matters: The two-year slide from his 2024 breakout—when he joined Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Kyle Schwarber by homering off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the postseason—clouds his future in Queens as the New York Mets enter the offseason with first base unsettled. While Vientos remained productive against southpaws in 2026, his struggles against right-handed pitching and below-average glovework at first base limit his projection as a full-time starter.

What to watch: New York's front office will gauge trade interest in Vientos over the winter while reshaping its first-base and designated-hitter options.