The Athletics will assuredly decline Jeff McNeil's $15.75 million option for the 2027 season when the time comes, instead opting to pay the $2 million buyout. 

The way the roster shakes out, he isn't likely to be the team's starting second baseman next season, and the assumption is that All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz will also be ready to go, so there just wouldn't be much playing time for him.

Paying $15.75 million for a bench player isn't something most teams would willingly do, and it's something the A's have never done. For context, one of the team's biggest stars in recent seasons, Khris Davis, made a whopping $16.75 million in 2020. 

Even with the team spending a little more these days by handing out extensions, they're still not at the level of spending that would make picking up McNeil's option a viable path for the team.

That said, he was a valuable piece of the offense down the stretch, batting .310 with a .342 OBP and a 114 wRC+ in the second half. What if the A's declined the option and then signed him to a deal worth a little less instead? 

Over the course of the full season, McNeil hit .264 with a .313 OBP and an 83 wRC+ (100 is league average), so the whole year wasn't great, but he did step in and play 43 games at first base after Kurtz went down and graded out above average there defensively (+4 DRS). 

His defense was well below league average at second base (-5 DRS), however, which makes finding a consistent role for him a little tricky. The most likely candidate for playing time at second would be Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, and behind him the club could go with Alika Williams as a defense-first option with offensive upside. Hence, the possibility of McNeil signing on at a lower deal to stick around.

From what we saw, McNeil seemed to enjoy his time in Sacramento and was seen as someone that the young infield could go to for advice. The pool table he brought into the clubhouse with him was also a favorite of the roster throughout the season. 

At a certain price point, the A's would likely be interested in bringing him back. The question is how much McNeil would be after. Our guess is that somewhere in the one-year, $8 million range could be a nice compromise for both sides.

When you add in the buyout, that's still a $10 million payout for the season, which isn't bad at all. It's also exactly what the A's paid him in 2026 after the New York Mets sent over $5.75 million to cover part of his salary in the trade that landed him in Sacramento last offseason. 

The A's need big-league depth options if they're going to take a step forward in 2027, and McNeil certainly provides that. While $8 million may seem steep for this team for a depth option, they still don't have huge contracts for 2027, so for one year it would be a good move heading into his age-35 season. 

Having McNeil not as a key cog of the offense but as a complementary piece instead would give manager Mark Kotsay more options late in games, and would provide a key depth piece for the club in case injuries begin to creep up on the roster yet again next season.