Following another disappointing season for the New York Mets, president of baseball operations David Stearns appears not to have given up on Mark Vientos yet.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday during the GM meetings in Las Vegas, Stearns still believes that Vientos can play his way onto the Mets' roster in 2027.

"Mark didn't have the season that he wanted to," Stearns said (h/t SNY Mets on Twitter). "He didn't have the season that we think he's capable of having. He's going into the offseason as a really motivated player. If he's able to do that, he's going to have an opportunity with us."

Vientos appeared to be a star in the making for New York after his breakout 2024 campaign, when he slugged a career-high 27 home runs and set a Mets franchise record with 14 postseason RBI. But since that magical season, Vientos has struggled to build on it.

In 121 games during the 2025 season, Vientos slashed .233/.289/.413 with 17 home runs, 61 RBI, and a .702 OPS, and missed time with a hamstring strain. 2026 wasn't much better for 26-year-old either. He batted only .212/.258/.394 with 13 homers, 41 RBI, and a .652 OPS. Vientos also missed over a month of the year after he suffered a fractured right hand when he got hit by a pitch.

For much of 2026, Vientos was the forgotten man on the Mets' roster, spending most of the year as a bench piece for the Amazins and in pinch-hit opportunities after his defense was once again an issue. Despite another down year, Stearns still sees a path for Vientos to make an impact in 2027.

How David Stearns' comments on Mark Vientos could impact the Mets' offseason

The Mets clearly have a lot of holes to address this offseason. A couple of them are at first base and finding an everyday DH, which New York has seemingly lacked since the NL adopted the position for good in 2022. Vientos has been utilized at both positions, but it would be foolish for the Mets to think Vientos can even be a platoon player at either of those spots.

Despite appearing in 67 games at first base and 14 games at DH last year, Vientos showed he's not the long-term answer, especially at first. He committed eight errors in 2026 by misjudging pop-ups in foul territory and struggling to field ground balls cleanly.

His days as the Mets' third baseman appear to be over, as Bo Bichette opted into his contract and Brett Baty is a potential platoon player at the position.

Despite those concerns and seemingly no room on the roster, Stearns still expressed confidence in Vientos, which could signal that he will get the opportunity to make his case to remain with the club in 2027. What he does with that opportunity remains to be seen.