The New York Mets have made yet another offseason move that will shake up the roster for 2026 and beyond.
The Mets agreed to trade veteran second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil and $5.75 million to the Athletics in exchange for prospect right-hander Yordan Rodriguez.
New York is shifting from an offensive-minded team to a team focused on “run prevention,” also known as defense and pitching.
The Mets are so dead set on improving the team’s defense that the team didn’t even offer star first baseman Pete Alonso a contract. Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
For the team to not even offer the franchise’s home run leader because of his range on defense is surprising. In a shocking corresponding move, the Mets signed infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal to split time between first base and designated hitter. The Mets will rely on a player who has played one inning at first base in his entire career to play the position.
The McNeil trade makes sense for New York after acquiring second baseman Marcus Semien from the Texas Rangers, but ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle graded the Mets side of the trade as incomplete.
“Another week, another familiar face to Mets fans is headed to a new team. Moving McNeil frees up both some payroll -- $10 million for the coming season and at least $13.75 million in 2027 -- and opens up some pathways in the position group,” Doolittle wrote Monday. “But for a team trying to get back to the postseason, the simple creation of some flexibility doesn't do much for us. It's what they do with that flexibility that matters. A major addition or two to the pitching staff? A move to land Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger?
“Who knows? For now, finding a taker for McNeil and bringing in a quality prospect in Rodriguez is the start of a positive sequence, as long as it turns into something helping the 2026 roster. Rodriguez is an absolute wild card, a 6-foot-3 Cuban righty who doesn't turn 18 until next month. He received $400,000 in bonus money to sign with the Athletics, so he clearly has some talent. We'll find out if it's enough to get him to the majors eventually.”
The Mets need to bring in a power bat to replace Alonso’s production, so if this move is the beginning of a larger move later on, this trade will go down as a win for New York. Even if we don’t end up seeing Rodriguez in Queens, McNeil’s tenure with the Mets was likely coming to an end anyway.