With Mark Vientos of the New York Mets going down with a hamstring injury, the front office might have to get creative if this is a long-term injury.
Losing Viento’s bat would be a disaster for this organization, something they can’t afford as they sit in first place in the loaded National League East. While the Mets have done what they’ve needed to do early on in the year and have a division lead, the Philadelphia Phillies are only a half game behind them.
Searching for potential trade options, Jake Elman of Athlon Sports pitched the idea of the Mets trading for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. He added that while Duran wouldn’t be the perfect replacement for Vientos due to being an outfielder and Vientos being a third baseman, his bat in the Mets lineup could give them some juice.
“No, Duran can’t replace Vientos’ presence at third. Duran, a 2024 All-Star, is a natural outfielder in his first season manning left field on an everyday basis.
“However, Duran is a dangerous bat who fits the Mets’ center field hole. The speedy lefty enters Wednesday hitting .273 with 17 doubles, six triples, and a .743 OPS for a fourth-place Red Sox club,” he wrote.
Duran has been a strange player throughout the 2025 campaign. Entering the year with some lofty expectations after being an All-Star last year, he has just four home runs. The Red Sox outfielder is hitting .273 with an OPS+ of 107.
His numbers have dropped after posting a 131 OPS+ in 2024 and a 121 OPS+ in 2023, but the Red Sox have been a disaster, and it isn’t unfair to suggest that’s why.
