The Mets are taking trade inquiries on Jeff McNeil, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The veteran utilityman is recovering from thoracic outlet surgery, which complicates conversations with other clubs. McNeil’s agent, Paragon’s Garrett Parcell, told The Post’s Joel Sherman that he is expected to be full go for Spring Training.
McNeil is entering the final guaranteed season of the four-year, $50MM extension he signed during the 2023-24 offseason. He’s set for a $15.75MM salary and guaranteed a $2MM buyout on a matching club option for the ’27 season. It’s essentially a one-year, $17.75MM commitment. (An acquiring team would also owe him a $500K assignment bonus.) That’s more than he’d get on the open market coming off a .243/.335/.411 line and heading into his age-34 season. Something like a two-year deal in the $18-20MM range would be reasonable, but he wouldn’t command that kind of money on a one-year term.
At the time of the extension, McNeil was coming off a batting title. He hasn’t maintained those heights over the past three seasons. He combined for a slightly below-average .257/.323/.381 slash line between 2023-24. This year’s numbers were better but also came with injury questions. McNeil missed the first few weeks of the season with an oblique strain. He hit well over the next few months, running a .256/.348/.451 line with as many walks as strikeouts in nearly 400 plate appearances through the end of August. His bat wilted as the team collapsed in September, as he finished with a .187/.274/.240 showing in the season’s final month.
Playing through thoracic outlet syndrome offers an explanation for the late-season struggles. At the same time, that also raises questions about what teams can expect going into 2026. TOS generally isn’t as damaging for hitters as it can be for pitchers, yet some clubs could prefer to see McNeil play before taking on a notable chunk of money. His strikeout rate ticked up in the final two months of the season, while his average exit velocity plummeted in September.
McNeil has primarily been a second baseman in his career. He’s a capable if unspectacular defender there. McNeil has a decent amount of corner outfield experience, where he has received solid defensive grades. He added a little more than 200 innings in center field this past season, albeit with mediocre marks from Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. McNeil is a below-average runner and shouldn’t be counted on for more than part-time work in center field.
While the contract and injury are obstacles, McNeil could be appealing to some teams if the Mets pay down part of the contract. The Astros don’t have an everyday second baseman and need a left-handed bat. The Angels could also use a lefty hitter and could bounce McNeil between second and third base. The Royals got nothing out of second base this year and generally prefer high-contact hitters of his ilk. The Giants, Athletics, Pirates and Tigers (if Gleyber Torres rejects the qualifying offer) could all look to upgrade at second base. Those teams would probably prefer to acquire Brendan Donovan, but the prospect cost would be much higher for the St. Louis utilityman.
If the Mets were to trade McNeil, they could kick Brett Baty over to second base. That’d perhaps enable them to make a run at a free agent third baseman or try to sign Ha-Seong Kim as a multi-positional player who’d upgrade the infield defense. McNeil’s contact comes with a $12.5MM luxury tax hit for New York, meaning they’re paying $13.75MM in taxes on it as a third-time payor in the highest bracket. The CBT hit would recalculate to reflect the remaining money on the backloaded deal if he’s traded. It’d be a $17.75MM luxury tax number — minus any cash considerations the Mets include, which would remain on their CBT ledger — for an acquiring team.
Not worth a whole lot.
McNeil is a decent player: 111 OPS+ with some defensive versatility, but TOS has to be a major concern. The Mets will have to eat some money but it’s not a terrible move for his one remaining year for a team trying to add a versatile veteran (if he seems likely to be healthy).
Didn’t know there were two types of TOS and he’s expected to be ready for spring training. This, while has value given his ability to play multiple positions in both the infield and outfield, his financial commitment for 26 is the bigger concern. Teams that typically spend will be looking to spend on better value players as they approach the tax levels and the one year amount is too much for many others. Thus, the Mets will have to eat a big chunk without getting much in return.
Bad contract swap for Christian Walker maybe?
McNeil for Yoshida from Boston. Boston pays the difference in their salaries to the Mets. McNeil becomes a bench player in Boston
Walker and a minor leaguer sounds right.
Id take anything i can get for mcneil if im mets
A prospect, cash, ptbnl, a dozen nathans hotdogs. ANYTHING
@chandlerbing
A dozen? Pfffft. Keep dreaming.
He’s worth more than a Dozen Nathan dogs. Make them kosher and he’s movable…
@deweybelongsinthehall
They’re eating the dogs… They’re eating the cats… They’re eating the pets… ;o)
Michael Vick endorsed this comment.
Not good enough to be somebody’s DH, so teams will want to know his arm is sound before taking that leap of faith. As long as he can throw accurately to first, there will be interest.
True but no one will know that until he plays for a while in spring training. That’s why the Mets would be selling low. It’s not the best time to trade him
lol
Trade all the bad players and keep all the good ones!
No doubt. As if other club FO’s are thinking what a great idea it is to absorb the pricey player contracts in decline of large market teams so it’s even more comfortable/convenient for them to spend on current FA’s they want.
I wonder if the Mets would entertain an offer of Antonio Senzatela for McNeil. Senza seemed to flourish once he switched to a relief role last year and could work in a long man role for the Mets. McNeil’s bat could work well in a Rockies lineup that needs contact if he stays healthy. It would be a gamble for both teams, but I think it would help both teams.
Senzatela quirky stats last year
2025 Home ERA. 3.86
2025 Road ERA. 6.41
2025 Quality Starts 4 out of 5 last starts at home 2025 Quality Starts 0 out of 8 road starts
Yeah some pitchers have always been better at Coors because they learn how to pitch there. It is not truly a hitters paradise, it is just that pitching works so much differently there than anywhere else in the league. But once you figure out how your stuff works at altitude, you can pitch well at Coors. Jorge de la Rosa was the absolute master at it. The downside to that is since is the only place where that works, you have to completely change your whole mindset for road starts and most of the time it doesn’t work out well.
A long reliever reclamation project getting $12M has zero value. You’d have to attach a prospect, even in a spare parts salary swap like you’re proposing. McNeil may not have the value he once held, but was still a 2.0 WAR player last season.
Perhaps it would have to be a little more than a 1 for 1 swap on both sides, but McNeil is also a major injury risk with the TOS. I still think the framework for this deal could work.
I was that large dude
McNeil will (as he did in 2022) have a very strong year before contract negotiations. But let him have it someplace else.
Between Baty and Jett Williams (and even Mauricio) the Mets are deep at 2B.
I wish Mauricio or Acuna were ready.
When is it appropriate to have the conversation about Lindor sliding over?
I’m not sure if Jon Heyman has ever been right about anything, including how to spell ‘Aaron Judge’, so I’m not sure how much stock I would place in this report of his. His contract is either 1/$17.5 million or 2/$31.5 million and he has (had?) TOS. If they are shopping him, it would likely be a salary dump bringing back very little.
The article is incorrect one way or another.
The batting title was in 2022, but it says he signed the extension in 2023-2024 coming off a batting title.
Either he signed the extension in 2022-2023, not 2023-2024, or he wasn’t coming off the batting title when he signed it.
To the best of my recollection, he signed the extension in 2022-2023.
About 4 years late!
Chris Taylor 2.0
He’s been taking away innings from developing kids. Enough already. Hoping to see Jett Mauricio Benge Acuna win big roles in the spring and for Taylor Vientos McNeil Nimmo to be traded, maybe for real bullpen help, a slugging OF.
Fielding interest doesn’t really make it clear as to if the Mets are actively shopping him.
Assuming he comes back healthy, I think he’s got value in a utility role. He had a down ’24 but was great this year until September tanked his numbers.
I don’t think they’ll sell low on him as their options otherwise at 2B/3B are a crapshoot.
My guess is that someone in the FO made a call to Heyman to write it up, just to gage interest. That way, when no one makes an offer, the Mets can deny that they were looking to get rid of him.
Agree. His contract is small enough and expiring that trading him for a bag of balls makes no sense. He can be a utility guy able to play 2B, CF, 3B, and 1B. Also a decent Lefty bat off the bench. If Acuna or Mauricio take the job from him, or Jett is ready in ST or mid-season so be it. To dump him or take back a bad contract makes no sense.
Christian Walker and a little cash and/or a lottery ticket prospect for McNeil… which team says no?
Mets unless that little bit of cash = the difference in total from mcneil as Walkers biggest sell was solid to great defense with solid bat. His defense if i recall fell off a cliff last year and the bat was just a tick below average i believe. Would be better to just give 1b to vientos as their bats are similar but is much younger and defense seem comparable if walkers defense is the same as last years and a pittance compared to walkers contract.
Walker’s defense was closer to average but it was still above average. Easy enough to call an anomaly. His offense was basically exactly league average overall but he had a brutal first half followed by a typical second half.
I realized after I thought of this that Walker has one more year than McNeil so it would probably take more than a little cash. But I still think it would be good for both sides. Mets need a DH too, and Vientos isn’t a sure thing and might be reduced to platoon duty with Baty anyway.
McNeil’s contact comes with a $12.5MM luxury tax hit for New York, meaning they’re paying $13.75MM in taxes on it as a third-time payor in the highest bracket. The CBT hit would recalculate to reflect the remaining money on the backloaded deal if he’s traded. It’d be a $17.75MM luxury tax number — minus any cash considerations the Mets include, which would remain on their CBT ledger — for an acquiring team.
I thought the tax hit reset every year. Only when the player changes teams? They could pay his whole salary and save money due to the taxes
Kim at 2B might be a good fit. How is his arm strength post-injury?
Kim won’t have to settle for a 2B job.
Why does it feel like it could be the Mariners? Please don’t let that be the case.
He was born to be a Met. He’s a hate the face guy.
McNeil would be the favorite if MLB added a Helmet Toss Derby to All Star Weekend.
Better to trade him during spring training when they know how healthy he is. Will get nothing for him now.
I thought it was the Mets that were targeting high-end relievers, probably just can’t stay away from dumpster diving.
His batting avg drop off is alarming to me while his extra base hits, BB and SO numbers seem to be consistent.
McNeil might be worth what he is being paid, but is anyone going to give up any prospects to get him?
McNeil and Nimmo to Seattle for Castillo, bad contracts for bad contract ? The Mets move Soto to LF, Benge to CF and Bellinger to RF, Castillo becomes the Mets #3
“McNeil’s contact comes with a $12.5MM luxury tax hit for New York, meaning they’re paying $13.75MM in taxes on it as a third-time payor in the highest bracket.”
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Wrong again. Instead, treat the contract as only proportionally contributing to the LT hit.
To simplify, if the LT threshold is $250m and your team’s payroll is $375m, then one-third of each player’s salary takes an LT hit.
You’ve gotten this wrong a few thousand times since the LT became a thing. Think it through, try to get it right.
He played third base vey well the times I saw him play there, a very versatile player.
False. Christian Walker alert!