After a season in which they finished nine games worse than the previous year, the New York Mets face several daunting decisions this offseason.
Perhaps none is more pressing than determining which players on their current roster will return in 2027.
The arrivals of Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and several other young players have created more competition for roster spots . That competition will only intensify as the Mets add players through free agency and prepare for the next wave of prospects, headlined by Jefferson Rojas and Jonathan Santucci.
With that in mind, let's rank which Mets are most likely to be on the trade block this offseason.
Out of all the players on this list, Mauricio is the most difficult to find a spot for next season
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The 25-year-old is out of minor league options, meaning that if the Mets want to keep him, he'll have to stay on the major league roster.
However, with Francisco Lindor, Jared Young, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Brett Baty, and potentially Bo Bichette (assuming he opts in), there are nearly no spots available. This doesn't even include any free-agent additions the Mets may make, with first base being a position in need of an upgrade.
New York Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio could find himself on the trade block this offseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Even if New York found a way to configure its roster with Mauricio on the bench, it still wouldn't make much sense.
In his limited time in the major leagues, Mauricio hasn't shown much growth with the bat. He's had a devil of a time against breaking balls, hitting just .050 against them this season.
At just 25 years old and with the ability to play a premium position like shortstop, Mauricio still has value. The Mets could capitalize on that by trading him to a team willing to give him a more consistent opportunity to play.
For many of the same reasons Mauricio doesn't fit into the Mets' roster plans next season, neither does Mark Vientos.
After a spectacular, highlight-filled 2024 season in which the right-handed slugger hit 27 home runs with an .838 OPS, the following two seasons have been a complete disaster.
In 274 at-bats this season, Vientos hit .212 with 13 home runs and a .258 on-base percentage. Along with his declining production at the plate, Vientos has no clear defensive home, having struggled considerably at both third and first base.
The only realistic way for the 26-year-old to remain on the major league roster would be for New York to use him in a platoon at designated hitter or as a power threat off the bench.
However, that scenario appears unlikely given Polanco's expected return in 2027. After undergoing surgery on his left ankle, Polanco will likely spend most of his time as the designated hitter.
That leaves a trade or a potential non-tender as the most likely outcome for Vientos this offseason.
Whether Senga remains with the Mets next season may ultimately be up to him.
The right-hander has one year remaining on the five-year, $75 million contract he signed with New York when he first came over from Japan in 2023.
Senga has made it clear he wants to remain a starter at the major league level, but given his poor performance over the past year and a half, the Mets can't afford to guarantee him that role.
In seven starts to begin the season, Senga posted a 10.08 ERA, struggling to generate any swing-and-miss. However, when the Mets transitioned Senga into a one-inning reliever in August, he saw much better results, posting a 1.74 ERA across 10.1 innings.
The transition worked much better for Senga, as he relied primarily on his high-velocity four-seam fastball and ghost forkball.
If Senga agrees to stay as a reliever, he could become a valuable bullpen asset. But if he's hell-bent on returning to the rotation, the likelihood of a trade increases significantly.
New York Mets third baseman Brett Baty could be a trade candidate, but he may stick around in Queens due to his versatility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After Mauricio, Vientos, and Senga, there's a significant drop-off in the likelihood of the remaining players being traded, starting with Brett Baty.
While Baty hasn't shown enough consistency to be trusted as an everyday starter next season, he still provides plenty of value with his versatility. In 2026, the Mets took full advantage of his ability to play all around the infield, with the 26-year-old making at least one appearance at every position around the diamond.
Baty's bat also started heating up towards the end of the season, hitting .303 with five home runs and a .926 OPS in his last 40 games. However, the Mets have seen this story before with Baty, who had a nearly identical stretch in 2025, creating a dilemma about what his role should be next season .
The former prized prospect is under team control for three more seasons, and with his trade value potentially higher than ever, now could be the best time to move him if the Mets aren't sold on his late-season surge.
Baty could be used as a major piece in a trade to address one of New York's other needs this offseason. Still, unless the Mets receive an offer too good to pass up, holding onto Baty makes more sense than trading him.
During David Stearns' end-of-season press conference, the Mets president of baseball operations was noncommittal about Semien as the team's Opening Day second baseman in 2027.
The reasoning is clear, as Semien was statistically one of the worst hitters in baseball this season, posting the second-worst OPS (.620) among all qualified major leaguers.
That type of production is nowhere near sufficient for an everyday starter, making a trade possible. However, there's just one big problem.
The Mets owe Semien a combined $46 million over the next two seasons. Finding a suitor would be extremely difficult unless New York was willing to take on another bad contract or absorb a significant portion of his remaining salary.
Given those obstacles, the most likely scenario is that Semien begins next season with the Mets . However, if his struggles continue, he could become a candidate to be designated for assignment.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mets/onsi as Ranking Which Mets Are Most Likely to Be on the Trade Block This Winter .
