Jeff McNeil didn't have a ton of trade value.
For the New York Mets to trade him to the Athletics, they had to throw in a bunch of cash, and they still didn't get a sure thing in return.
But the Mets instead took a chance on a lottery ticket from the A's in the deal reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan on Monday afternoon.
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Who did the Mets get for Jeff McNeil trade?
In return for Jeff McNeil, the Mets received Yordan Rodriguez from the A's.
Rodriguez is a 17-year old right-handed pitcher from Cuba.
He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.
Rodriguez was an international signing by the A's who made his professional debut in 2025 in the Dominican Summer League.
At that level, Rodriguez appeared in eight games and had a 2.93 ERA.
In 15.1 innings, Rodriguez struck out 20 hitters.
Clearly, he's got a long, long way to go. But in his first test of his baseball life, Rodriguez proved he belongs.
The Mets may try to start Rodriguez in Rookie ball in 2026 and see where he can go from there. He'll turn 18 before the new season gets underway, and he's going to get plenty of chances to prove he was worth acquiring in this trade.
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