If the Mets are going to improve their run prevention next season, they should start with third base.

The problem of having an excess of infielders for the Mets extends beyond just run prevention. It disrupted the team’s roster balance and took away valuable defensive practices and at-bats from less developed players who need them for growth.

This situation, a favorable challenge, has been looming since Brett Baty and Mark Vientos transitioned to the majors simultaneously. The Mets now need to strategize around Baty, Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña, and top infield prospect Jett Williams. With Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil firmly in their shortstop and second baseman roles next season, finding clear solutions isn’t straightforward.

Currently, there is talk of potentially trading McNeil this winter. The Mets also entertained offers for Vientos during the trade deadline, reflecting their pressing need for pitchers. President of baseball operations David Stearns generally avoids committing to long-term deals with pitchers over 30, and both McNeil and Vientos could bring valuable pitching assets if traded.

If the Mets prioritize run prevention, keeping McNeil might be wise. Although no longer a batting title contender, he delivered a strong performance with a .746 OPS and excelled defensively at second base last year.

Despite McNeil’s defensive skills showing little decline, his range is naturally decreasing at age 33. Nonetheless, his versatility to play a reliable second base and all outfield positions, combined with his flexible batting lineup placement, adds substantial value. Though his limitations in center field became evident with some critical mistakes in the season’s latter half, retaining McNeil could be beneficial to maintain the positional adaptability prized by Stearns.

Should McNeil be traded, Baty would become the main second baseman. In 2025, he showcased his talent there while sharing third base responsibilities with Vientos and Mauricio. By season’s end, Baty emerged as the team’s top third baseman, prompting the Mets to minimize Vientos’ time at third base, where he ended the season with -7 OAA, echoing last season’s performance (-6).

The 25-year-old outplayed Baty in 2024, but in 2025, he regressed on both sides of the ball while Baty finally had a breakout season, hitting .254 with 18 home runs, 50 RBI, eight stolen bases and a .748 OPS, . His line was nearly identical to McNeill’s, another left-handed hitter. Vientos, on the other hand, hit .233 with 17 home runs, 10 fewer than last season with nine more plate appearances.

Where do Mauricio and Acuña come into the equation? Without consistent playing time, it was tough for either of the Mets’ rising infield prospects to get any sort of consistency at the plate or in the field. Vientos and Baty were constantly rotating with them, creating a difficult situation for all involved. When not in the lineup, the developing infielders took extra reps with the coaches to mimic a gameday workload, but they can only do so much without playing in games.

Mauricio, a switch-hitter, has considerably more power in his bat than Acuña, who hasn’t shown much of an ability to hit big-league pitching yet. However, his third base defense was strong, for the most part, which should be encouraging to the Mets after missing 2024 with a knee injury he suffered playing in winter ball in 2023.

The Mets allowed him to play winter ball because they wanted him to get reps at third base. The organization was too slow to move him off shortstop, but that was before Stearns was in charge.

Williams split the season in Double-A and Triple-A, picking up right where he left off before injuries cost him time in 2024. He posted an .828 OPS between two levels at only 21 years old this season, seeing the most time at shortstop. He isn’t a factor in the third base competition, but yet another middle infielder further complicates the picture.

The only solution is to trade one, if not more of those infielders. They need to stick with one at third, and have a back-up option instead of a multi-player rotation.

If the Mets want to take a big swing, they could try to sign Alex Bregman, who is expected to opt out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. He’s expected to seek a contract in the range of $200 for five years. A 31-year-old veteran who won two World Series with the Houston Astros, would finally stabilize a position that hasn’t had any stability. He produces runs and he has long been considered a strong clubhouse presence.

With Bregman, the Mets could use Baty at second and McNeil as a utility man. With Brandon Nimmo’s declining defense in left field, it could work.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has expressed interest in being traded to the Mets. The interest wasn’t mutual last year, but things change after seasons like the one the Mets just had. Other options could emerge as the hot stove season begins.

With so many internal options, you’d think the Mets would have figured out an answer by now. But there haven’t been any answers since David Wright was there a decade ago.