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3 teams that should make the Mets a trade offer for Jeff McNeil
None of these teams had a good second base situation in 2024.
The tight-lipped New York Mets probably won’t reveal much about what they truly believe Jeff McNeil can offer them in 2025. Often speculated about in trade rumors, he is a player we should consider “on the block” this offseason. This team has a lot of up-and-coming players who could conceivably replace McNeil as the starting second baseman. Let’s not rule out the possibility of a Jose Iglesias return, too, to help get them through the year.
McNeil’s value has tanked but hasn’t completely cratered into extinction. Flexible defensively and pretty good at the positions he does play, there is no urgency to actually deal him away although it doesn’t hurt to field some phone calls or bring up his name over drinks at the Winter Meetings.
If the Mets do trade McNeil, consider these three spots as some of the most realistic destinations.
1) Seattle Mariners
Second base has been a black hole for the Seattle Mariners for quite some time. It seems like whatever they try is only temporary and, for the most part, ineffective. Last year it was Jorge Polanco who got the bulk of the opportunities at the position. A free agent and an unlikely candidate to return, the Mariners will go on the hunt for some sort of an upgrade. Could a trade for McNeil solve their longstanding weakness?
At his best, McNeil is an amazing match for the Mariners. This is a team that struggled to hit for average last year. Their .224 team average was only better than the Chicago White Sox and barely. They batted .221.
A league high 1625 strikeouts also helped waste away a productive year from the pitching staff. When McNeil is at his best, he’s making contact, hitting for average, and even supplementing the roster in a variety of ways.
The Mariners and Mets seem like the most natural fit for a deal because of Seattle’s abundance of pitchers. It would take some younger talent to pry away one of the more talented arms in their rotation. Luis Castillo, the veteran and highest paid one on the roster, is one of the more viable targets. McNeil and some prospect capital for him? One can dream.
2) San Francisco Giants
Free agent bridesmaids, the San Francisco Giants have been chasing their own tails since the reign of winning three World Series in five seasons. They are ready to spend money, but always seem to come up short when it comes to actually signing a major target. The team is pretty average. An 80-82 record last year proves it.
Second base was not a strong position for them last year. Thairo Estrada was their main man at the spot. A -0.5 WAR and a .217 batting average with limited power low-lighted his campaign. Having lost Michael Conforto in free agency, there is an additional opportunity for McNeil to get some occasional starts in the corner outfield. He’s a good fallback plan there.
The Giants are an unattractive destination for power hitters. McNeil is far from one. Although surges of pop have taken place in his career, the more slap-hitting style of McNeil that shows up when he is playing well isn’t so detrimental to playing half of his games in San Francisco.
A swap with the Giants involving McNeil might not reward the Mets with quite enough MLB-ready talent. However, if the goal was to dump the salary and improve the roster right now, someone like Taylor Rogers making $12 million would slightly reduce the Mets’ payroll while giving the bullpen a boost.
3) Minnesota Twins
What’s going on with the Minnesota Twins? In our New York bubble, we don’t generally pay much attention to them. Other than the signing of Carlos Correa, they aren’t generally a franchise to grab many headlines.
Second base was quite abysmal for the Twins in 2024. Edouard Julien batted .199/.292/.323 and was the most frequently used player at the position. Utility man Willi Castro did better at .247/.331/.385. Naming him the starting second baseman is a feasible option but with 150 strikeouts versus only 12 home runs, it does feel like the Twins are asking for some trouble.
Minnesota lost several key players in free agency. In relation to McNeil, outfielders Manuel Margot and Max Kepler are no longer with the team. Hypothetically, the Twins could consider McNeil for one of those two positions. If youngster Brooks Lee ends up at second base where he is projected to play, McNeil can fill in to begin the year before transitioning into more of a corner outfield role or be the super utility man he was earlier on in his career.
The Twins could use a left-handed bat in their lineup, too. They’re very right-handed heavy at the moment.
The Twins are a team that have been held back by injuries. Correa, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, and more have all landed on the IL for lengthy periods to slow down the offense. A player like McNeil brings some added protection. They made the most of having Willi Castro last season play all over the field. It wouldn’t hurt to have more and one with a greater upside of hitting for average.
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