Mets Trade Jeff McNeil to A’s as Roster Shake-Up Continues - But Are They Falling Further Behind the Dodgers?
The Mets’ offseason overhaul rolled on Monday with another move that signals just how deep this reset is going. Jeff McNeil - a two-time All-Star and one of the few remaining faces from their recent core - is headed to the Oakland Athletics.
Along with McNeil, the Mets are sending $5.75 million to help cover the remainder of his contract. In return?
A single minor league pitcher. No top prospect, no big upside flier - this was a straight-up salary dump.
With McNeil gone, that makes four longtime Mets mainstays out the door. Pete Alonso is now an Oriole.
Edwin Díaz is wearing Dodger blue. Brandon Nimmo was shipped to Texas.
And now McNeil - a batting champ just two seasons ago - is off to Oakland, likely starting his 2026 campaign in Sacramento.
This isn’t just a roster shuffle - it’s a full-blown teardown. And while owner Steve Cohen has tried to calm the waters by saying the club expects a similar payroll in 2026 to what they’ll carry in 2025, it’s clear this is a team trying to pivot quickly. Reports have linked the Mets to trade talks for Arizona’s Ketel Marte, and with McNeil’s salary off the books, there’s renewed buzz about a potential run at free agent Alex Bregman.
But here’s the thing: even if the Mets manage to land one or both of those players, they’re still chasing shadows. The Dodgers aren’t just ahead - they’re sprinting. And they’re doing it with the kind of calculated precision that makes New York’s flurry of moves look more like scrambling than strategy.
McNeil’s Departure Signals More Than Just a Roster Move
McNeil had been on the trade block since the offseason began, but few expected the return to be this minimal. It’s not just about shedding payroll - there’s been chatter that both McNeil and Nimmo had friction with Francisco Lindor, which may have contributed to the front office’s decision to move on from both. If that’s true, it paints a picture of a clubhouse that wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders.
Still, parting with McNeil - especially for so little - is a tough pill to swallow. He spent most of 2025 at second base, a position now covered by Marcus Semien, but his versatility and contact-first approach gave the Mets a different look in a lineup that’s now missing several of its most consistent bats.
Plugging Holes, Not Building Foundations
The Mets are clearly trying to stay competitive while reshuffling, but the pieces don’t all fit - at least not yet. They let Pete Alonso walk, then brought in Jorge Polanco, a player with just one career appearance at first base. Edwin Díaz is gone, so they’re banking on a bounce-back year from Devin Williams and hoping Luke Weaver can contribute in high-leverage spots.
Brandon Nimmo’s departure leaves a gaping hole in the outfield, and now with McNeil gone too, the depth chart looks thin. That’s part of why Bregman’s name keeps coming up - the Mets need help at third base, and badly.
The front office may still have a few cards to play, but right now, the roster feels more like a patchwork job than a cohesive unit. There’s talent here, but it’s scattered, and the fit isn’t seamless.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers Keep Rolling
While the Mets are trying to reassemble the plane mid-flight, the Dodgers are cruising at 35,000 feet. They didn’t just swoop in for Díaz - they did so while the Mets were still figuring out whether they even wanted him back. That’s the difference between a team with a plan and one searching for direction.
Yes, the 2024 Mets gave the Dodgers a scare in the NLCS. They pushed.
They battled. But that was a different team - one with Alonso, Díaz, Nimmo, and McNeil.
The 2026 version is still being built, and there’s no guarantee it’ll be ready to compete at that level again.
Even if the Mets do manage to land a big name or two, the Dodgers are built for October. Their roster is deep, their stars are in their prime, and their front office has shown time and again that they know how to build a winner.
The Mets? They’re still trying to find their footing.
The Road Ahead
This isn’t to say the Mets are doomed. There’s still time to reshape this roster in a meaningful way.
The money is there. The ambition is there.
But the margin for error is shrinking, and the moves they’ve made so far - while bold - haven’t yet added up to a clear vision.
Trading Jeff McNeil might have been necessary from a financial or clubhouse standpoint, but it’s another reminder that the Mets are in transition. Whether this is a quick pivot or the start of a longer rebuild remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure: the Dodgers aren’t waiting around. And if the Mets want to keep up, they’ll need more than just payroll flexibility - they’ll need a plan that sticks.