The Athletics have finally addressed a big need this winter. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the club has acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets, and he has been a target that we have proposed this winter.
According to Passan, “The New York Mets will receive a rookie-ball arm in the deal that sends Jeff McNeil to the A’s, sources tell ESPN. The Mets also will be sending cash to help cover McNeil’s $15.75 million salary, plus the $2 million buyout on a club option for next year.”
On paper, this seems like a great deal for the A’s and a salary dump move by the Mets. McNeil is still a productive member of the roster, and the cost of acquisition wasn’t terribly high from the A’s standpoint. New York is also sending over some money to help the deal go through.
This past season with the Mets, the 33-year-old hit .243 with a .335 OBP, good for a 111 wRC+ (100 is league average), which is a huge improvement for the A’s offensively from the production they received at second base during the 2025 campaign.
This past season, the A’s ranked No. 28 in wRC+ from their second basemen with a 70. That’s 30% below league average production. Only the Angels and Rockies received worse production from their second basemen. If McNeil ends up replicating his 111, then the A’s would have a top-5 offensive second baseman to rely upon. That’s a huge swing for the 2026 campaign.
Passan also reports that the A’s will be sending right-hander Yordan Rodríguez to the Mets in this deal, while also getting $5.75 million to help cover his $15.75 million contract for 2026. The Mets could also end up owing the A’s another $2 million if the club doesn’t end up picking up his option for 2027.
The option for McNeil is worth another $15.75 million in 2027, and comes with a $2 million buyout. Essentially, the Mets would be paying the entirety of the opt-out clause if the A’s don’t bring McNeil back.
Rodríguez is a 17-year-old righty that signed with the A’s out of Cuba back in January as an international free agent. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League this year, and went 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 15 1/3 innings of work. He also ended up walking eight batters and striking out 20 in that span.
The young righty isn’t listed on the A’s top prospect lists, but he’s also had just a handful of innings in pro ball thus far, and none of them have been stateside, so there is plenty of time for him to end up being a ranked prospect, now in the Mets farm system.
