SAN DIEGO — With the trade deadline days away, the Mets remain open to trading one of their young infielders, including Mark Vientos, if the return is right. According to people briefed on the club’s plans, the Mets would deal the 25-year-old Vientos for a rental only if it was a significant player coming back.

The team values Vientos and the four years of additional team control he carries more highly than two months of most potential rentals. One league source, though, said the Mets preferred to trade Vientos rather than their better prospects.

“To be honest with you, I feel like every year besides last year I’m in trade talks,” Vientos told The Athletic on Monday. “It’s the same thing. I don’t really care. All I’m really focused on is just getting better. That’s it.”

After a breakthrough 2024 season in which he hit 27 home runs in the regular season and five in the postseason, Vientos has endured a classic sophomore slump in 2025. He’s lost his everyday role at third base, seeing more sporadic playing time at the hot corner and DH. He entered Monday batting .226 with a .280 on-base percentage and .638 OPS — the latter being nearly 200 points lower than his mark a season ago.

He did put together a big night in New York’s 7-6 loss in San Diego, driving a go-ahead grand slam to right field in the fifth inning — one at-bat after Fernando Tatis Jr. had robbed Vientos of a two-run homer to right.

“I’m doubling down on my approach and what I want at the plate and staying convicted to it,” Vientos said after the game. Naturally, Vientos’ step backward in 2025 has affected his potential trade value.

Naturally, that step backward has affected Vientos’ potential trade value. One league source said Vientos must hit for power the way he did in 2024 to overcome his defensive shortcomings. That source viewed Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio in a similar bucket as bounce-back pieces.

What explains Vientos’ struggles this season? Analytically, while his plate discipline remains the same as last year, Vientos simply hasn’t hit the ball hard as consistently as he did in 2024. He hasn’t barreled the ball up as much.

To fix that, Vientos has spent his time in the cage and on the field during batting practice focused intently on barreling the ball.

“Once you start talking about things and making it a point of emphasis, they start to get better,” co-hitting coach Eric Chavez said.

Vientos said he got away from himself early in the season by trying too hard to one-up his 2024 campaign.

“Because I had a great year last year, I think I was trying to be even better this year,” he said. “I think I was trying to be someone I wasn’t, and now I’m back to focusing on what I’m good at, which is hitting the ball hard and driving it.”

While Vientos’ barrel rate has increased over the past month — from 7.4 percent to 9.1 percent — he’s still well behind last year’s 14.1 percent.

Vientos, who said in spring that he had to acclimate to “getting love” after his excellent season, is back to proving people wrong.

“I feel like I’ve never been someone that’s been liked,” he said. “I feel like last year was the first year that people were rooting for me. It’s no different, to be honest with you. Going up through the minor leagues, I was always that guy that nobody really counted on. Last year I proved myself, and this year is the same thing. It’s nothing new.”

“He’s not happy (with his production), but he also understands that he’s got an opportunity when he’s in the lineup to help us win baseball games,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He continues to work, continues to grind and continues to make adjustments. He’s a really good player and we’re going to need him.”

(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)