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Mets have a handful of non-tender candidates, including Mark Vientos
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- Mets have a handful of non-tender candidates, including Mark Vientos
The Mets have 10 players eligible for salary arbitration this offseason.
Those players are Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill, Christopher Morel, Dedniel Núñez, Cristian Pache, Cionel Perez, Mark Vientos, and Austin Warren.
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Once a player is offered arbitration, the team and that player's agent have until a set date -- usually at some point in February -- to come to terms on a new contract. If that doesn't happen, both sides submit salary proposals, and the player's salary is determined by independent arbitrators at a hearing (a timeframe that could be impacted this offseason by the expected lockout).
A team can also offer arbitration to a player and then trade him. So the Mets can tender contracts to players who might not be in their plans.
According to the MLB Trade Rumors algorithm that "looks at the player's playing time, position, role, and performance statistics while accounting for inflation," here's what the Mets' arbitration-eligible players are projected to make in 2027...
Francisco Alvarez: $4.1 million
Brett Baty: $2.5 million
Tylor Megill: $2.5 million
Mark Vientos: $2.4 million
Christopher Morel: $2.1 million
Reed Garrett: $1.3 million
Cionel Perez: $1.2 million
Austin Warren: $1.2 million
Dedniel Núñez: $900,000
Cristian Pache: $800,000
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If the Mets tender contracts to all of the above players and they receive salaries similar to the projections, it would add roughly $19 million to the payroll.
However, not every arbitration-eligible player is certain to remain with the team.
Alvarez, Baty, Megill, Garrett, Warren, and Núñez feel like close to locks to be offered arbitration.
New York Mets relief pitcher Dedniel Núñez (72) reacts after retiring the side in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
Garrett and Megill missed the 2026 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but both are expected to be valuable pitching depth in 2027 -- and Garrett is under team control through 2029.
Meanwhile, Warren and Núñez (in his first year back from TJS) showed flashes in relief in 2026 and should be part of the calculus entering spring training.
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With the non-tender deadline set for Nov. 20, here are four Mets players who could be at risk...
INF/DH Mark Vientos
Vientos' offensive decline continued in 2026, as his OPS dipped to .652 (from .702 in 2025 and a career-best .837 in 2024). His batting average (.212) and OBP (.258) were both career worsts, and Vientos' defense remained subpar.
Getting most of his time at first base, Vientos was worth -9 OAA, via Baseball Savant . While Vientos has put in the time working on his defense behind the scenes, it just hasn't translated on the field. And his other main position on the diamond (third base) will likely be blocked by Bo Bichette, who is expected to opt in to his $42 million contract for 2027.
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While Vientos could be part of the designated hitter situation for the Mets in 2027, potentially getting starts against left-handed pitching (he has a .772 OPS against lefties in his career), it kind of feels like the writing is on the wall when it comes to the end of his tenure in Queens .
Vientos still possesses serious power, but he just hasn't tapped into it enough over the last two seasons. Add to that his below-average defense, lack of positional versatility, and suboptimal speed, and it makes his inclusion on the 2027 roster a tough proposition.
With Vientos set to earn just $2.4 million next season, it's possible a team in need of right-handed power has interest via trade. If a deal can't be reached before the non-tender deadline, though, expect the Mets to move on.
Mark Vientos / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
INF/OF Christopher Morel
The Mets took a flier on Morel at the end of June after he was released by the Marlins.
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Morel wound up playing in 13 games for New York over the summer, slashing just .200/.250/.333 (.583 OPS) in 32 plate appearances.
While Morel is versatile enough to play every position except catcher and pitcher, he is not a good defender at any spot. Meanwhile, his last above-average season with the bat came in 2023.
Projected to make roughly $2 million in 2027, Morel will almost certainly be a former Met by Nov. 20.
LHP Cionel Perez
During a nine-year career with the Orioles, Astros, Reds, Nationals, and Mets, Perez has shown enough to keep getting chances.
Perez had a terrific season for Baltimore in 2022 (1.40 ERA in 57.2 innings) and was also good for the O's in 2023 (3.54 ERA in 53.1 innings), but it's been tough sledding since then. Over the last three years, Perez has a 5.30 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 120.2 innings.
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However, Perez was solid for the Mets in 24 appearances over 29.1 innings in 2026, with a 3.99 ERA (3.75 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP while walking just 2.5 per nine and striking out 10.7 per nine.
Perez also has a fastball that can touch close to 99 mph, so perhaps the Mets roll the dice and see if they can unlock what made him a key cog for the Orioles a few years ago.
OF Cristian Pache
Pache inked a minor league deal with the Mets last December.
He spent the majority of the 2026 season in the minors, getting just eight plate appearances for New York.
Before 2026, Pache -- a career .181/.242/.273 hitter in parts of six big league seasons -- last played in the majors in 2024.
Pache will almost certainly be non-tendered ahead of the deadline or removed from the 40-man roster before then to create room for other players.
