It hasn’t been a smooth start for Mark Vientos who, as much as anyone else, needed to show some life in spring training. The New York Mets slugger was a perceived trade candidate this offseason. While you’ll still find him mentioned in plenty of speculative trades, the idea of dealing him shortly before Opening Day comes with the added two-word question of “for what?”
Vientos will join Team Nicaragua in early March when the World Baseball Classic begins. He better hope something changes with the Mets beforehand. Although he has struck out only twice with the second coming after an 11-pitch at-bat on Thursday, Vientos is 0 for 10 with a hit by pitch being his only time on base.