The New York Mets just traded yet another homegrown player, second baseman Jeff McNeil, and they’ve moved on from first baseman Pete Alonso after trading outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
We can’t print the word a rival executive used to describe the state of the Mets clubhouse after an explosive report from the New York Post revealed reports of unrest, but we can give you a modified version of what he said.
“What they’ve done tells you how big a s— show their clubhouse was,” said one rival executive who was granted anonymity for his candor, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. “The guessing is over. It was a disaster.”
Mets GM is making an effort to mitigate that disaster so it doesn’t happen again next year. He’s brought in several players with solid clubhouse reputations, with the latest being second baseman Marcus Semien and first baseman/infielder Jorge Polanco.
“We definitely tidied things up in our house,” said one source who was identified as a “Mets person.” “Now it is time to do more rebuilding.”
That rebuilding will likely start with a right-handed bat, according to Rosenthal and Sammon, and that hitter may also be able to play first base. Third baseman Mark Vientos is probably next out the door, and based on what we’re seeing he should have his bags packed and a mover lined up.
Team officials saw the McNeil trade as more about roster reconstruction than payroll restructuring, according to Rosenthal and Sammon, but don’t be fooled. The Mets got next to nothing back for McNeil, and their report had the Mets paying $5.75 million of the second baseman’s $15.75 salary, along with another $2 million in a possible buyout.
His versatility wasn’t needed with Semien and Polanco coming on board, and Stearns clearly didn’t want to wait for a better trade to emerge, or for a larger deal to evolve.
The pitching staff could also be next up for the GM’s addition-by-subtraction approach. Rumors have been flying about starter Kodai Senga, and fellow starters Clay Holmes and David Peterson could also be moved, either individually or in that larger deal that Mets fans want to see.
They won’t necessarily get it. Stearns has been fairly surgical in his approach to that rebuild, and there’s no reason to think his approach will change in midstream. He’s determined to make the clubhouse better this year, although it remains to be seen if the results translate on the field next spring.