Why the Minnesota Twins Should Trade for Mets Infielder Mark Vientos

[Cody Schoenmann]

Image courtesy of Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

 

On Friday, the Minnesota Twins officially announced their first substantial acquisition of the offseason, signing Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million contract. The switch-hitting veteran is slated to step in as the club’s primary first baseman while also mixing in at designated hitter.

 

Despite netting a combined -13 Outs Above Average (OAA) at first base the past two seasons, the 33-year-old’s defensive prowess shouldn’t be a meaningful concern for those who follow the club, evidenced by the Twins' ability to maximize the positioning of their first basemen. Still, with Bell slated to start a meaningful number of games at designated hitter (leaving first base open) and the club not yet rostering a viable backup for the oft-injured Royce Lewis at third base, the Twins would be wise to actively pursue a player who could fill that void. Enter Mark Vientos.

 

Coming off a breakout 2024 campaign wherein the then-24-year-old hit .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and a 132 wRC+ over 454 plate appearances, Vientos regressed last season, slashing .233/.289/.413 with 17 home runs and a below-league-average 97 wRC+. Sporting plus power with a high swing-and-miss profile, the now-26-year-old is one of the more volatile and streaky hitters in baseball. Due to his extreme fluctuation in performance (and the club’s overall dissatisfaction with its position player core), New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns appears to be making Vientos available in trade talks, signaling the club could soon move on from the once highly-touted corner infielder.

 

Vientos is a poor defensive third baseman, evidenced by his netting -7 OAA at the position last season. However, he has been serviceable at first base, posting -1 OAA over 112 innings at the position in his four-season career. Barring injury, Lewis (a plus defensive third baseman) is slated to function as Minnesota’s everyday third baseman, meaning Minnesota could shield Vientos from the position.

 

Yet, if Lewis were to miss extended time, Vientos could step in as his primary replacement, minimizing the offense lost in Lewis’s absence. At this point in their respective careers, Vientos is a better defensive first baseman than Bell, meaning Vientos could slot in as the club’s primary option at the position while Bell inhabits a more traditional designated hitter role. However, given Bell’s switch-hitting profile and Vientos’s platoon-proof nature, the two could function as an interchangeable first base and designated hitter tandem.

 

Despite a poor 2025 campaign from Vientos, Minnesota would still need to part ways with considerable prospect capital or MLB-ready assets to acquire the power-hitting right-handed bat’s services. New York is in dire need of MLB-ready starting pitching talent. Interestingly, that is the Twins' greatest area of strength and depth. Twins decision-makers could reasonably send veteran starting pitcher Bailey Ober to the Mets for Vientos and a mid-tier prospect, like Boston Baro or Heriberto Rincon. If New York were more interested in long-term upside and team control, a trade package headlined by Simeon Woods Richardson for Vientos and a mid-tier prospect could also make sense.

 

Vientos is one of the more popular bounce-back candidates in baseball next season who perfectly fits Minnesota’s need of a right-handed hitting power bat who can play both corner infield positions while mixing in at designated hitter. He is also pre-arbitration and under team control until 2029, making him an even more enticing trade target for the salary-restricted Twins.

 

As mentioned earlier, Minnesota could also afford to part with one of its mid-to-late-rotation arms to acquire Vientos, further supporting the deal's efficacy. A deal for Vientos likely wouldn’t happen before the New Year. Yet, the Mets' young corner infielder could soon get dealt, with Minnesota arguably being the most plausible destination.

 

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[old nurse]

So with all the complaints about defense the solution is to add another below average defender 

[TJSweens]

A poor fielding, boom bust hitter who strikes out almost 30% of the time? No thanks. You can't swing a stick on this team without hitting that as it is.

[HeresWaldo]

It's an interesting idea. I suspect the Mets would want something significantly more painful in return than Ober or SWR. He'd fix a lot of lineup problems though.

[Jeff K]

This is an easy NO.  The Twins need to improve their fielding and not add another DH!

[TopGunn#22]

I've been advocating an Ober for Vientos or an Ober for Jordan Lawler trade since the season ended.  Ober still has solid value but should be moved for something useable to enhance the lineup.  He shouldn't be blocking younger pitchers in the Twins rotation.  If Ryan and Lopez open the season with the Twins, Ober should be long gone.

I would have made a deal like this before signing Bell.  Both the Mets and D-Backs have open spots in their rotations.  Ober would appeal to both.  Vientos has excellent power potential and is 26 years old.  Guys like he and Lawler are in the proper age range for the Twins to build a contender around.  

I thought once the Mets let Alonso walk they wouldn't be interested in letting go of Vientos, and then they signed Jorge Polanco.  

Let's also put an end to this myth that by stationing a bad fielding 1B on top of the foul line a team solves the problem of the guy having no range.  Where ever you try to HIDE a bad defensive player, you will open up gaping holes.  Bell should be a full time DH who plays 10-20 games maximum at 1B in 2026.  

Having Bell and Vientos in the Twins lineup would provide 50+ HR potential.  That would be a stark improvement from 2025.  Acquiring Vientos would also open up a possible trade of Wallner, making the OF defense markedly better than having Larnach in LF and Wallner in RF.  I would also not play Vientos at 3B.  If Lewis were to get hurt, I'd rather promote Culpepper and move Lee to 3B.  If Culpepper wasn't ready, I'd roll with Fitzgerald at SS and Lee at 3B.  

[bean5302]

6 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

...Having Bell and Vientos in the Twins lineup would provide 50+ HR potential.  That would be a stark improvement from 2025...

Larnach and Clemens are likely to deliver as many HRs as Bell and Vientos.

[laloesch]

Yeah sorry no thanks.  Vientos is yet ANOTHER streaky strikeout prone hitter that's bad defensively.  

[jorgenswest]

Vientos does little to help the bench. He doesn’t run well. He doesn’t play a position well or have positional flexibility. He either hits well enough to start at make up for a bad glove at 3B or he will be a journeyman.

While his OPS and wOBA dropped significantly from 2024 to 2025 his xwOBA based on the quality of his contact did not. It dropped from. .331 to .319 which was one point off his career mark entering the season. I suspect he is better than last year but his talent is closer to the 2025 numbers than the 2024 numbers.

The Twins do have a back up at 3B with the addition of Bell in Kody Clemens. Clemens quality of contact was better than Vientos and he adds better positional flexibility as well as better base running to contribute from the bench.

[tony&rodney]

In consideration of the defense and strikeouts expected from Vientos, I propose the Mets send us Vientos which satisfies the author and the Twins send the Mets the debt left from Carlos Correa.

[JD-TWINS]

I can’t take this seriousl!

A poor defender coming off a sub .300 OBP season after a “good year” with his .322 OBP in ‘24. The sense is Twins need to send a starting pitcher for this level of player…….some say SWR or Ober wouldn’t be enough….. how is that possible???

Hell, play Clemens at 3B and you get 20 HR pace, when he plays & a poor defender at 3B…….not serious here with Clemens but Vientos is hardly the answer for a team trying to improve. I don’t get the take at all other than he plays in a big market so people recognize his name AND the Met’s are trying to shop him.

[JD-TWINS]

Would some Team trade an effective starting pitcher like SWR or Ober for Matt Wallner? Maybe? Vientos is the same streaky type hitter but he doesn’t have a position nor Wallner’s upside…………redundant here but Team can’t seriously pursue this.

[Major League Ready]

You have to be kidding.   Vientos is kind of a 3B vs of Julien.  I would rather have the much better fielding more versatile Fitzgerald as a bench option and keep Ober or whomever would be traded to get him.

[Cory Engelhardt]

I'd be ok with looking into a move like this. I wouldn't want him to plan to be the backup 3b based on his lack of range, but maybe he can be a decent 1B defensively. 

[CRF]

Nah.

[NYCTK]

I think the value of Vientos for Ober is pretty fair, but I can tell you the Mets wouldn't be interested.

Someone said they have a hole in the rotation? Kind of, but they're missing an ace. They wouldn't really be interested in a pitcher with a 5 ERA. They have plenty of options in that department. 

[sweetmusicviola16]

Vientos still has some potential and upside and I could see a possible bounce back, defense not so much. I don't know what it would take to acquire him from the Mets. But the Mets have two other guys that I would rather pursue. I don't know what it would take for them either and if the Mets would even move them, I'm sure they would for the right price. Those two would be either Jacob Reimer and or Ryan Clifford. I would love to see the Twins make this deal with the future in mind, a more competitive season than this 2026 one. Either one of these guys may well fit better in that soon future window then Vientos does. If these guys make it they are the type of player that will potentially put an end to the circus of revolution going on at 1B.

 

What would it take for the Twins to acquire Reimer or Clifford? I don't believe it would break the bank.

[bunsen82]

The only way this works is a straight up challenge trade of Vientos for Lewis.   Would you want to do that?  Lewis is a better defender than Vientos.   

[rhal]

Seriously stop with focusing on players who can’t defend. 

[SteveLV]

Wow, this is getting bad, guys.  There have been about a half dozen "Front Page" articles posted here in the last couple weeks with nonsensical trade ideas or roster suggestions.  I know you need to drive page views, but you water down your good content with stuff like this.  

Just no.

[SteveLV]

Quick follow up:  If Vientos was a FA, would you even want the Twins to look at him?  No.

So why would we trade assets for him?

[Woof Bronzer]

Trade assets in order to make Lewis redundant?  Why?  

[Blyleven2011]

The TD writers that come up with the most ridiculous trade proposals are all named cody ...

We need hitters  yes , but we already have to many players that are poor on defense....

[Exiled in Illinois]

Can't see it happening.  Can't really see anything major happening with roster.  Maybe a trade of Larnach for reliever depth, maybe signing a depth reliever, that's it.  Going to run out converted starters (who knows who) as late inning guys.

Not neccessarily a bad thing.  Could be pretty rough, but who knows, if everything clicks, could be a enough to be in running for playoffs.  If not, alot of young players will get mlb experience.  Seems like the defination of a transition year.  

[jmlease1]

Pass. He might have a nice bounce-back season at the plate, but there's little reason he's going to improve defensively, and there's plenty of risk that he's going to be more like Ed Julien or James Outman: a guy that had one season, before the league caught up to him.

I'm unenthusiastic about Clemens, but at least he adds something defensively while having real positional flexibility. Clemens can fill in at 3B if needed (and Brooks Lee can slide down there as well), and the reality is with only 13 position player's you won't have backups on the MLB roster for every position. Twins don't need to have a dedicated backup to Royce Lewis, and now have 3 guys who can play 1B (Bell, Clemens, and Keaschall) and everyone can DH, so giving up a bunch of prospect capital for Vientos in hoping that he bounces back and finds a position doesn't do much for me.

Are the Mets selling him cheap? No? Forget it.

[MGX]

Not interested. Trading Ober for a player like Lawler who at least potentially addresses SS is something that makes sense.

I keep seeing SWR/Ober coming up in these articles as if they're of the same value? SWR is a developing SP who who was the best starter on the staff last September. IMO it's a good idea to see if he is taking a step forward prior to moving him. If we can get something useful for Ober I'm all for it & then we can get another younger starter in the rotation.

[TwinsDr2021]

Just about any trade proposal is ridiculous because this FO has backed themselves into a hole.

They have so many guys near ready  or trying to prove they are something; it makes no sense to block them, but the back half of the 40 man is so bad it makes no sense to keep them. 

[MinnInPa]

Wallner is the guy to change to 1B.. extreme liability in OF.  He should be practicing that position right  now ..and this should be his only option to make the team. Better hitting options in Gonzales, Rodriques and Jenkins

[TNtwins85]

6 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I've been advocating an Ober for Vientos or an Ober for Jordan Lawler trade since the season ended.  Ober still has solid value but should be moved for something useable to enhance the lineup.  He shouldn't be blocking younger pitchers in the Twins rotation.  If Ryan and Lopez open the season with the Twins, Ober should be long gone.

I would have made a deal like this before signing Bell.  Both the Mets and D-Backs have open spots in their rotations.  Ober would appeal to both.  Vientos has excellent power potential and is 26 years old.  Guys like he and Lawler are in the proper age range for the Twins to build a contender around.  

I thought once the Mets let Alonso walk they wouldn't be interested in letting go of Vientos, and then they signed Jorge Polanco.  

Let's also put an end to this myth that by stationing a bad fielding 1B on top of the foul line a team solves the problem of the guy having no range.  Where ever you try to HIDE a bad defensive player, you will open up gaping holes.  Bell should be a full time DH who plays 10-20 games maximum at 1B in 2026.  

Having Bell and Vientos in the Twins lineup would provide 50+ HR potential.  That would be a stark improvement from 2025.  Acquiring Vientos would also open up a possible trade of Wallner, making the OF defense markedly better than having Larnach in LF and Wallner in RF.  I would also not play Vientos at 3B.  If Lewis were to get hurt, I'd rather promote Culpepper and move Lee to 3B.  If Culpepper wasn't ready, I'd roll with Fitzgerald at SS and Lee at 3B.  

I would be all over the Ober for Lawler trade over Vientos. I’ve seen you mention this before and it’s grown on me. I liked him coming out of HS. Seems a change of scenery might do him good. At worst he’s probably a light hitting super utility and better than Fitzgerald. I think at this point they’ve gotta move on from Ober before he turns into a pumpkin and they get nothing for him. I think when he starts to go it’s gonna be fast and he’s starting to show the signs. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

5 hours ago, NYCTK said:

I think the value of Vientos for Ober is pretty fair, but I can tell you the Mets wouldn't be interested.

Someone said they have a hole in the rotation? Kind of, but they're missing an ace. They wouldn't really be interested in a pitcher with a 5 ERA. They have plenty of options in that department. 

Bailey Ober wasn't a 5 era pitcher in any year prior to 2025. Frankly his 2023 and his 2024 were very good. But I have to think that they want to see some bounce-back from him prior to thinking about trading him anyway.