3 moves the NY Mets can make after trading Jeff McNeil

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Jeff McNeil is on the New York Mets trade block this offseason in a twist nobody saw coming one year ago today. McNeil had climbed into the core of the franchise and looked like the future at one of the many positions he is able to play.

A down year in 2021 plus some struggles with shortstop Francisco Lindor nixed the idea of the Mets moving forward with him at second base. Although there are other spots for him to conceivably play, second base is the most logical at this point when we look at their additions brought in pre-lockout.

Until the lockout is settled, McNeil’s fate will remain unclear. But this will give the front office a bunch of time to figure out what their next move would be if they do indeed trade everyone’s once-favorite everyday utility man.

Signing Kris Bryant is the simplest and most powerful move the Mets can then make

What could Kris Bryant possibly have to do with McNeil? The two play different positions. You don’t swap one directly for the other.

You’re a smart baseball fan so you already have this figured out. Just as McNeil is known for being able to move all over the field, so is Bryant.

A big reason why Mets fans were eyeing Bryant long before the offseason began was how flexible he is. Third base is his primary position. However, last season alone, he played all three outfield positions and even logged two innings at shortstop. These options opened up a lot of possibilities for the Mets as they were seeking a replacement for Michael Conforto.

Now that the Mets do have three outfielders, anything else they do will probably involve a shift in the infield. Subtract McNeil from the mix and add Bryant, they can then move Eduardo Escobar over to second base.

Bing. Bang. Boom. The Mets suddenly have a much different looking infield and power at all four positions.

All Bryant will cost is money. For that reason, he’s the simplest choice.

Houston Astros v Oakland Athletics / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

The Mets could always look to acquire a third baseman in the trade or a separate deal

Whether through the McNeil trade itself or a separate deal, the Mets can always look to add a third baseman from a different team. This isn’t anything new for the club. They’ve been searching for a third base upgrade for a while. When Bryant was under contract, he was often brought up as a trade candidate. There are others out there, Matt Chapman of the Oakland Athletics enticing most fans more than most others.

Something I don’t think makes much sense for the Mets to do is to trade for a second baseman. It hasn’t been discussed at all for the simple reason of “why?” The Mets already have McNeil so unless they really don’t like him, a new second baseman doesn’t make all that much sense—unless they intend to simply move McNeil to the bench which isn’t an outlandish idea but also not preferred.

Trades are far tougher to execute than signing a free agent. I also don’t think the Athletics are ready to deal Chapman away for what the Mets are willing to offer. This front office regime is holding onto their prospects tightly. Until they need to, like at the trade deadline, I can’t see them moving on from any of their most prized possessions. The market for Chapman is huge right now with teams like the New York Yankees even considering him as a shortstop option.

It’s one direction we could see the Mets go alongside a McNeil trade. And if it’s not that, they could always do something else.

2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game / Dustin Bradford/GettyImages

Trading Jeff McNeil may lead the Mets to prepare for the prospects

Just because the Mets trade away McNeil doesn’t mean they have to do anything else major for the ball club. Their belief in Robinson Cano to start the season at second base may be strong enough where that becomes the plan. J.D. Davis could survive the offseason and begin as the third baseman with Escobar sliding over to second base.

There are a couple of ways the Mets can go without making too many changes. Some even include bringing back a guy like Jonathan Villar for the start of the season.

This idea only works if the ultimate goal is to get one of the third base prospects into the starting lineup by year’s end. We are all already familiar with Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. One is going to have a big role on the Mets in one way or another by the start of the 2023 season. Both built up as third basemen over the years, it’s looking like one may ultimately end up as the left fielder with the other playing the hot corner.

In preparation, the Mets need to leave themselves some room to work. The addition of Escobar lines up well with one of them getting significant playing time. He’s only on a two-year deal. By 2024, third base will be wide open for the taking.

I kind of feel like this is what the Mets will end up doing. A big splash in free agency or a major trade creates a roadblock for the prospects they’ve been so eager to get to the big leagues.

But we’ve all been surprised before. Who would have thought Max Scherzer would ever call Citi Field home?

The Mets have a couple of directions to point themselves following a McNeil trade. What do you think they end up doing?

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