NEW YORK -- Returning to Citi Field on Friday for the first time as a member of the opposition, A’s second baseman Jeff McNeil put to rest any tension of a rift between him and Francisco Lindor when the two were Mets teammates.
Asked directly about a New York Post report that Lindor verbally accosted McNeil following a June 20, 2025, game in Philadelphia, McNeil responded: “No, no, we didn’t get into a fight. We just had a little argument. It was no big deal.”
McNeil added that he didn’t believe the incident, nor his relationship with Lindor, had any impact on the Mets’ decision to trade him in December for Minor League pitcher Yordan Rodriguez. The reported incident was the second between McNeil and Lindor, who also had an altercation early in their first year as teammates.
“I think he’s a great guy, a good person, and I enjoyed my time playing with him and wish him all the best,” McNeil said before the A’s notched a 4-0 win over the Mets. “He’s a great baseball player, one of the best shortstops to ever do it. Best of luck to him in the rest of his career. It was fun playing with him.”
Throughout an eight-minute interview in the visiting dugout, McNeil recalled his time with the Mets fondly. Although his name was a mainstay in trade rumors for much of that tenure, McNeil was somewhat surprised when a deal actually occurred. That’s largely because Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns called him after trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in November to say he wanted McNeil to play the outfield in 2026.
Ultimately, that did not come to pass. Over the span of three months, the Mets shed McNeil, Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz from their roster, shaking up their longtime core. Lindor, who arrived in 2021, is now the Mets’ longest tenured position player.
“I felt like we had a pretty good team,” McNeil said. “We were one win away from being in the postseason last year, and that was tough. But it’s business. David’s over there trying to put the best team on the field as possible, and that’s what he saw fit.”
Asked if he expected a warm reception from the Citi Field crowd, McNeil said he hoped so. About 10 minutes before first pitch, McNeil was welcomed back with a tribute video on the scoreboard. Then, prior to his first at-bat, fans gave McNeil an extended standing ovation, which he acknowledged with a slight tip of the helmet before taking a deep breath and stepping into the box.
“Pretty special night,” McNeil said. “The video was awesome, and then the standing ovation was great. I got a little choked up out there. Just overall, a super fun night.”
McNeil ended up playing a key role in the A’s victory on Friday night. He led the way offensively with a pair of hits against his former club, including an RBI single in the ninth that sparked a three-run inning, while also making a couple of stellar defensive plays at second base.
“All-around great night for Jeff,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Really happy for him. I know he was excited to be back here. He loved playing here. He loved the fans. They gave him a great ovation tonight, which was awesome and much deserved. I’m sure he’s happy to have it over. There was a lot of emotion behind tonight.”