The New York Mets continued their explosive offseason by acquiring reigning All-Star Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers. But in discussions, one top prospect wasn't even brought to the table.
Outfielder Carson Benge was the Mets' first first-round pick under president of baseball operations David Stearns. New York has no plans to trade him, as there is a chance Benge breaks the Opening Day roster, via Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
“Outfielder Carson Benge, the Mets’ top position player prospect, was never seriously on the table during trade conversations for Peralta, league sources said,” Rosenthal and Sammon wrote.
“Throughout the offseason, Stearns has expressed interest in leaving the door open for Benge to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training,” they continued. “The Mets do not have someone firmly established in left field, though Brett Baty and Tyrone Taylor are expected to see time there.”
The Mets have right field accounted for for the foreseeable future with Juan Soto. They answered their center field problem by acquiring Luis Robert in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. While there are answers on the roster for the left field, Benge gives New York a potentially potent bat with supreme upside.
During the 2025 season, the outfielder rose from Single-A all the way to Triple-A. Through 116 games total, Benge hit .281 with 15 home runs, 73 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He did struggle in his 24 games at the Triple-A level, hitting .178 with three home runs, 13 RBIs and three stolen bases. However, it's hard to ignore Benge's success early into his career.
Spring training will fully determine whether or not Benge makes the Opening Day roster. What is clear is that his name won't be used in trade talks moving forward.
