WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets hits a RBI double in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) Getty
The New York Mets did not make the 2026 MLB playoffs, so their offseason has officially begun after Sunday's season finale.
It was undoubtedly a disappointing season in Queens, and wholesale changes are likely coming from president of baseball operations David Stearns.
One massive decision that Stearns (and the rest of the Mets front office) will have to make regards infielder Mark Vientos .
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GettyWASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 25: Mark Vientos #27 of the New York Mets hits a RBI double in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
Mark Vientos is a non-tender candidate in MLB this offseason.
MLB.com uses the following definition to characterize a non-tender candidate:
"Players on the 40-man roster under club control (i.e., players who haven't reached the requisite six years of Major League service time to be eligible for free agency) who haven't yet signed contracts for the upcoming season must be tendered contracts by a set deadline or they will be considered "non-tendered." In many instances, a club will non-tender a player because it feels the raise he will receive in arbitration would be greater than his on-field value. In other cases, a club will non-tender a player simply to clear a spot on the 40-man roster — even if that player isn't due much more than the league minimum the following season."
This is the exact situation that the Mets face with Vientos. He will essentially either get a guaranteed contract, get traded, or be non-tendered by the Mets at some point this offseason.
Non-tendering a player can be looked at similarly to a designation for assignment.
Either way, Vientos could also be traded, but after a poor offensive season, his value is low, and if the Mets feel they'd rather not bring him back on a guaranteed deal because of the uncertainty of his offensive ability, they could cut ties with him via non-tender.
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