While pitching is the main area of focus for the Athletics this offseason, they shored up one of their few remaining needs on the position-player side on Monday by acquiring infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil from the Mets in exchange for right-hander Yordan Rodriguez.
The A’s will also receive $5.75 million from New York, a source told MLB.com, to help cover the cost of McNeil’s contract, which has one year and $17.75 million remaining. To clear a spot for McNeil on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated left-hander Ken Waldichuk for assignment.
TRADE DETAILS
A's receive: INF/OF Jeff McNeil, cash
Mets receive: Minor League RHP Yordan Rodriguez
The A’s expect to have one of the better offenses in baseball next season on the strength of a core featuring American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. Still, second base and third base were two spots they entered this winter exploring opportunities to upgrade.
As opposed to the rather inexperienced options that were currently on the A’s roster, McNeil, who will turn 34 on April 8, is a proven commodity. The 2022 MLB batting champion is a career .284/.351/.428 hitter across his eight Major League seasons, all of which have come with the Mets. McNeil hit .243 with 12 homers in 122 games this past season.
“I thought he was a really good fit in a lot of ways,” A’s general manager David Forst told MLB.com. “His overall experience -- let’s be honest, we still have a generally young roster without a ton of experience, particularly on the position-player side. I think he brings a lot to the table in terms of having played in that market, played in the postseason, and bringing a lot of experience to our clubhouse.”
The $5.75 million from the Mets leaves the A’s responsible for $10 million of McNeil’s salary for 2026. His $15.75 million club option for 2027 also includes a $2 million buyout, which the Mets would pay if the option is not exercised.
McNeil fits the mold of the type of player the A’s value highly. He’s versatile, providing solid defense at all three outfield spots in addition to second base. His contact skills also remain elite -- McNeil’s 16.6% whiff rate and 11.9% strikeout rate both ranked near the top 90 percent of hitters in the Majors.
“I see him as the second baseman right now,” Forst said. “Things can change quickly with injuries and other transactions and things like that, so you never know. But the fact that he does have that versatility -- I see it a lot like when we acquired Ben Zobrist a long time ago. But just knowing you have some options and you can do some other things on the roster is great.”
Rodriguez, 17, was fairly new to the organization, having signed with the A’s out of Cuba this past January right after the opening of the international signing period for $400,000. He did not rank among the A’s Top 30 prospects.
The addition of McNeil alongside shortstop Wilson gives the A’s a double-play combo that could also be one of the more pesky 1-2 punches in baseball. McNeil struck out 55 times in 462 plate appearances last season, while Wilson punched out just 39 times in 523 plate appearances.
With McNeil in the fold, the A’s are likely to let the third base opening play out between their in-house candidates during Spring Training, with younger players such as Darell Hernaiz, Max Muncy and Brett Harris vying for that spot. Monday’s trade also further clouds the outlook for second baseman Zack Gelof, who could miss the start of Spring Training as he is currently rehabbing from a dislocated left shoulder.
“I think we’ll probably look internally at third base,” Forst said. “Max did a really nice job there in his limited time. Darell has shown he can play the position. Brett Harris has a lot of experience at third base. So, I like our internal options.”
Having now added a second baseman in McNeil and an experienced reliever in Mark Leiter Jr. earlier this month, the top priority for the A's now becomes adding a proven starting pitcher.
“I think we’re still on the lookout in the rotation,” Forst said. “I don’t know exactly when or where that’s going to happen. But that’s probably our first focus right now. We’ll see if anything else comes together.”