David Stearns has successfully taken a wrecking ball to the Mets core.
The 33-year-old McNeil is owed $15.75 million 2026, the ultimate 12 months of his contract, and has a membership possibility for 2027. The Mets will ship $5.75 million to cowl a part of his wage subsequent season, and pays the $2 million buyout charge if the A’s decline to select up his possibility.
The homegrown offensive core of Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and McNeil has been damaged up. Whereas this transfer may open up extra time for a few of the membership’s younger infielders, it additionally creates yet one more gap within the roster at left area. McNeil has primarily performed second base since developing by means of the Mets’ minor league system, however his worth was in his skill to play a number of positions, together with all three outfield spots. With out Nimmo, the Mets have been already in want of a left fielder. That want is now even higher.
Carson Benge, a highly-ranked outfield prospect, was anticipated to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster at heart area, however the Mets might look to make use of him in left. Jared Younger, a left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder with minor league choices, will probably be the fill-in man going between Triple-A and the large leagues as soon as once more. Younger hit .186 with 4 homers in 23 main league video games final season.
A scouting success for the Mets at a time after they wanted it, McNeil hit his method from the twelfth spherical of the 2013 draft up by means of the minor league system. A Lengthy Seaside State Dirtbag, McNeil embodied the ethos of the school’s notorious baseball title by enjoying with a chip on his shoulder and an all-out power. He hit his technique to the large leagues, breaking by means of in 2018 at 26 years previous. The next season, he hit .318 with a .916 OPS to change into an All-Star for the primary time. He returned to the All-Star recreation in 2022 en path to successful the NL batting title with a .326 common, beating Freddie Freeman on the ultimate day of play.
The Mets rewarded him with a four-year contract extension in January 2023, however he hasn’t regarded like the identical participant since. McNeil’s manufacturing dropped in 2023 and within the first half of 2024. There was hypothesis that the principles limiting the shift had robbed McNeil of hits, however the Mets have been by no means solely positive.
Although he’s struggled with accidents over the previous couple of years, McNeil nonetheless managed to seek out extra energy in 2024 and 2025, and the hits as soon as once more began falling. In Sacramento, he ought to be capable of hit for loads of energy. The A’s will spend at the very least two extra seasons in a Triple-A ballpark earlier than transferring to Las Vegas.
Over components of eight seasons, McNeil hit .284 with a .779 OPS and 80 house runs. Defensively, he performed each place on the sphere apart from pitcher and catcher.
