3 ways the NY Mets can immediately spend the $10 million saved by trading Jeff McNeil

3) Pay down a little more on a Luis Robert Jr. trade

Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets won’t end until he hangs up his cleats for good. Even if he ends up traded somewhere else and is a free agent next winter, someone will hear a whisper about the Mets’ desire to add him. Right now, the problem is how much the Chicago White Sox are willing to eat.

At $20 million, the Mets can more easily invest this $10 million toward half of what Robert is owed. With the Athletics open to paying about two-thirds on McNeil, we should expect the White Sox to demand the Mets do at least the same. So about $15-16 million is what the payroll hit would be for the Mets unless they sweeten the trade haul they’d send to Chicago; something they shouldn’t get tempted by.

Robert doesn’t fully solve the Mets’ outfield situation. Add him in and Tyrone Taylor goes to the bench. What about left field? The Mets should already have something in mind there far greater than Carson Benge stunning us in the spring and making the club to open the season.

Robert answers uncertainty in center field. Left field is more vacant than the list of girls who said “yes” to my invitation to senior prom. Luckily for the Mets, it’s hard to get rejected with an extra $10 million to spend. Once Steve Cohen finishes fanning himself with it, they can get to action paying to improve the roster in one way or another.