The New York Mets’ unraveling of the 2025 roster just took another step.
The Mets have traded Jeff McNeil to the Sacramento Athletics, according to Jeff Passan.
The acquisition of Marcus Semien had made McNeil expendable and the terms of the deal make it clear the Mets just wanted him out of Queens. According to Passan: The New York Mets will receive a rookie-ball arm in the deal that sends Jeff McNeil to the A's, sources tell ESPN. The Mets also will be sending cash to help cover McNeil's $15.75 million salary, plus the $2 million buyout on a club option for next year.
It is also continuing an offseason that has steadily stripped away core pieces from a team that finished one game shy of the postseason.
McNeil, 33, was never the biggest name on the roster, but his departure carries weight.
Over eight major league seasons, McNeil compiled a.284 career batting average with 920 hits, 80 home runs and 367 runs batted in, while adding 37 stolen bases and a career.779 OPS through the end of the 2025 season.
A two-time All-Star (2019, 2022) and the National League batting champion in 2022, McNeil has shown an ability to hit for average, make contact, and contribute across multiple spots in the lineup.
While his production dipped in 2024 and 2025 — including a.243 average with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs in 2025 — McNeil’s career track record and positional flexibility made him a valuable regular for the Mets’ everyday roster.
He was also rumored to have had issues with star shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Now he’s gone, following Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz out the door.
The trade reinforces what has quietly become clear: David Stearns is cleaning house. It’s a philosophical teardown of the 2025 team, one move at a time. McNeil’s contract, age, and declining offensive consistency made him a logical candidate to move, but logic doesn’t erase the pattern.
The Mets aren’t just shedding payroll. They’re shedding continuity.
For Oakland, McNeil represents a low-risk bet on a player whose value may play better in a lower-pressure environment. He brings contact skills, defensive flexibility, and experience to a roster still searching for stability and identity.
For the Mets, the move is another reminder that last season’s near-miss no longer matters.
