With the Winter Meetings right around the corner for the New York Mets, the team is focused on trying to make some improvements to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season.Â
It was no secret that the Mets’ collapse was going to lead to some change for the organization this winter, and that has already started to happen. Brandon Nimmo being traded to the Texas Rangers was a shocking development, and the top two free agents for the team are both still on the open market.
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More than likely, New York will be aggressive during the Winter Meetings in order to try and reshape and improve their roster for not only 2026, but for years to come. Due to the Nimmo trade, an opening has been created in the outfield that the team must address.
While free agency is one avenue in which they can seek improvements, the trade market will be another. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about a hypothetical trade proposal that would send Jarren Duran to the New York Mets in exchange for Mark Vientos and Jonah Tong.
Is this package for Jarren Duran too expensive for the Mets?
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Duran would be an excellent addition for the Mets, but this price tag to get him is arguably too steep. In 2025, the Boston Red Sox slugger slashed .256/.332/.442 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. As always, he provided a lot of value defensively, but it was a significant drop off in production compared to 2024, when he totaled a bWAR of 8.7.
While his production makes the price to acquire him high, he is also under team control for a few more years. It’s not shocking that a potential trade would be costly, but the Mets would really have to look long and hard at how they feel about both Tong and Vientos.
Even though Tong is more unproven in the majors, he flashed some serious potential in 2025 when given the opportunity. It appears like he could be a valuable part of the rotation for years to come, and he handled being called up and thrown into the fire well for the most part.
In terms of Vientos, while the 2025 campaign wasn’t good for him, he looked like a budding star for the team in 2024. If he can find that level of success at the plate again, he is a player that the Mets must hold on to, especially with Pete Alonso’s future with the team still uncertain.
Overall, while Duran would fill a need and help, a package of Tong and Vientos feels too costly.
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