The Mets made a surprising move on Saturday, calling up infielder Mark Vientos after Starling Marte got placed on the bereavement list.
Vientos shined this past weekend in limited action, going 3-for-4 with a walk-off two-run home run on Sunday to lift the Mets to their only win of the weekend.
Marte will not be back for a couple more days, but when the two-time all-star returns, the blue and orange will have a complicated decision on their hands.
The Mets’ Decision
President of Baseball Operations David Stearns must decide whether to keep Vientos with the big league club or send him back to Triple-A Syracuse.
The decision is much more complex than what is apparent at the surface. Vientos lost the third base battle to Brett Baty and then did what he was told to do: hit the cover off the ball in Triple-A.
Vientos has slashed .302/.388/.535 with .923 OPS across 23 games alongside five home runs and 22 RBIs.
The 24-year-old has earned his return to the major leagues and has performed well in his limited sample size. If Stearns decides Vientos belongs in the majors, he must determine who must exit the roster.
If Vientos stays, who goes?
If the Mets choose to keep Vientos, they would have two potential players to demote: Joey Wendle and Brett Baty.
Wendle came to the Mets on a one-year, $2 million guaranteed contract to replace Luis Guillmore as the bench utility man.
The 34-year-old has hit .250/.280/.292 with no home runs and one RBI across 10 games, but his defensive versatility, alongside him having no available minor league options, makes it more challenging to get rid of him.
Baty had a scorching hot start to the campaign but has struggled lately. The 22-year-old is just 5-for-29 over his last 11 games with a singular extra-base hit.
The Texas natives’ defense, which is his strong point, has also faltered late, although he has been dealing with a nagging injury that could have caused the recent decline.
Baty still has minor-league options, and a brief return to Triple-A could serve him nicely.
Time will tell what the Mets decide, but this decision could affect the organization for years.