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8/14/24

Reese Kaplan: Is 2024 the Final Mets Season for Jeff McNeil?


Earlier in the year many people were considering becoming Uber drivers to offer the backsliding Jeff McNeil transportation out of town to whatever new baseball stadium might have been seeking his services.  

Besides the embarrassment of admitting the long term deal was overpriced and ill advised, there was not going to be a long line of takers for someone hovering on the right side of the Mendoza line but not by very much.

Then all of the sudden Jeff McNeil started playing more like Jeff McNeil.  He was hitting for power, driving the ball, making better swings and raised his batting average up to a still mediocre but not laughable .236.  Now considering he won the batting title by reaching .326 for the 2022 season, he followed it up with a 56 point drop in 2023 and now he’s still looking at a 34 point deficit in 2024.

For a career .290 hitter, this recent trend is not good and now that he’s reached age 32 he may not achieve the offensive highlights that once came so easily to him.

On the contract side, McNeil earns $10.25 million this year but beginning next year it jumps by $5 million to $15.25 million due in 2025 and again in 2026.  For 2027 he would get the same or must be paid a $2 million buyout.  So if you’re thinking about making a trade, you’re going to have to sweeten the pot quite a bit between paying down the salary or adding other warm bodies to entice someone hoping his versatility in the field and his ability to get on base is going to make him a positive addition to the roster. 

From the Mets perspective, they’re not quite sure what to do with the man.  Some days he plays his customary spot at second base.  Other days he is in one of the corner outfield slots.  Granted, with Starling Marte having missed a large chunk of the season it was necessary to move McNeil to the outfield more often than had been planned.  

None of the others who were tried out there — D.J. Stewart, Tyrone Taylor, Ben Gamel or Jesse Winker — have established themselves as productive.  With Jose Iglesias hitting .333 it has enabled the Mets to use the best of the rest in McNeil but as an outfielder he’s not ideal until the batting average jumps at least 50 points. 

Behind McNeil in the minors you have a bevy of youngsters who are chomping at the bit to get to the big club.  Brett Baty is probably the most familiar name to Mets fans followed closely by recovering Ronny Mauricio.  You also have Luisangel Acuna probably ready to advance as well.  

Jett Williams has lost pretty much a full year to injury but he’s on deck behind them as well. 

So the question for the Mets is what would it take to bundle McNeil in a trade that would be interesting enough for another club to show interest?  Take for example a 50% paydown of McNeil’s salary, then add in some players like Tylor Megill who is out of options, Kevin Parada who will not be supplanting Francisco Alvarez and perhaps one more prime level prospect.  That kind of combination of reduced payroll obligation and future players could entice someone to take a bite. 

From the Mets side you’re probably looking at major league relief pitchers, a starting pitcher or minor league options for the future.  The thing to remember is that David Stearns was not here for the good times and only has witnessed the 2024 struggles up close.  He therefore likely has little loyalty to keeping McNeil around with others including Iglesias and the minor leaguers available to take his spot in the starting lineup. 

Is it time for the Mets to let the kids play in 2025 or do you keep holding out hope that McNeil will again approach his career .290 batting average?

20 comments:

  1. I think it's time to see what they can get for him in tge off season. I like your idea of throwing some minor leaguers in a deal. I think Patada would draw interest cuz everyone needs catchers. I think it's time to bring in the youngsters and give them a shot

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  2. My guess if the decline continues the team will reinvent the Blow It Up theory and use 2025 as a youth building block

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  3. A .277 / .330 / .825 batting line with the ability to play multiple positions is not bad. That is Jeff on the road this year. Playing most of his games away from NY maybe is what he needs. I would consider something like Parada, Ramirez and salary relief. That may interest someone.

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  4. We won’t know his value until season’s end. At that point, Jeff is owed less than he was owed on his contract when the trade deadline passed, and if we wanted to move him off-season we’d know how much, if at all, the Mets would have to eat. We have to consider that Acuna may never be even as good as McNeil is right now.

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  5. Parada is fanning 4 times every 3 games in AA. We have to start asking if he will ever hit MLB pitching. At Parada’s age of 22, Tomas Nido hit .320 in high A.

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  6. Tom, fair point on McNeil’s value but he is already 32 and in two years Acuna may be better than he is then.McNeil’s versatility will be missed. It’s not an easy call.

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  7. And…Nido struck out a LOT less than Parada in the minors at age 22 and in AA at age 23. Nido in the majors, against much tougher pitching, though? He strikes out a LOT. So, do we still feel Parada is worthwhile? He is no Kevin Plawecki right now, and some ranker has Parada as the Mets # 25 prospect now. Why? Strikeouts, no doubt.

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  8. A plan...

    1. Let dead money pass

    2. Let all expiring contracts expire

    3. QO Alonso

    4. Squeeze one more year out of Marte

    5. Build rotation with Senga, Scott, and Sproat

    6. Try to sign Manae

    7. Go shopping for SP5

    8. Shop McNell

    9. Sign every outfielder on the Yankees who's last name ends with OTO

    10. Sign Matt Chapman

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  9. Jeff McNeil is one of my favorite Mets, but everything Reese said here is accurate. McNeil still has value because of his versatility, but his offensive productivity is way down over the last two years. Teams may still have interest in him, and if the price is right, he may get moved.

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  10. I would keep McNeil as a super sub. Love his versatility.

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  11. I second Mack. Rebuild this team with youth. Look at Baltimore as a role model.

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  12. SNY had a new top 30 prospects list on Monday. Four 2024 draftees,along with two recent DSL signees, made the cut. I suspect we are seeing some older prospects being traded and replaced with these newer prospects.

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  13. Given a lost season for both Williams and Mauricio, the underwhelming (if recently improving) progress of Acuña, and the fact that Brett Baty is never going to be a great (or even ML average) defensive 2B, I’m not sure there’s any great urgency in dumping McNeil this offseason. I’m guessing that the FO will hope to see him continue his resurgence this season and look more like the recent version next season through the deadline. At that point, with one or more of the kids (hopefully) ready to make the jump, and with less money owed on McNeil’s deal, he could be tradeable.

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  14. Mack is going all chart on Heston with his 10commandments.

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  15. 12. When one says too many negative things,a 10 game win streak is sure to follow.

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  16. Perhaps it's time to bat McNeil second. Closeth player on a hot streak.

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