When the New York Mets dealt Jeff McNeil to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for teenage pitching prospect Yordan Rodriguez, the immediate reaction from many fans was a mix of confusion and underwhelm. On paper, it looked like a light return for a former All-Star. But dig a little deeper, and the move starts to make a lot more sense-especially when you consider the current state of the market and McNeil’s recent trajectory.
Let’s start with the basics: McNeil, once a spark plug in the Mets’ lineup, had become a tough sell. Between declining production and a recent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome-a serious procedure that’s derailed more than a few careers-his trade value had taken a hit. The Mets still owed him $10 million for the 2026 season, and while they did send $5.75 million to Oakland to help offset that, they ultimately cleared a significant chunk of salary and even managed to get a live arm in return.
That’s not nothing.
In fact, when you look around the league, it might be more than expected. Take Adam Frazier, for example.
He just signed a minor league deal with the Angels after putting up a .267/.319/.365 slash line. Compare that to McNeil’s .243/.335/.411, and it’s clear McNeil still brings more to the table offensively, even in a down year.
Frazier, for context, hit just .202 in 2024. Yet both are now in similar territory-veterans with questions, hoping to prove they’ve still got something left.
The market tells the story. Players like Mike Tauchman, who had a solid 2025 campaign, are settling for minor league deals.
That’s the climate. So while McNeil might still attract a major league offer if he hit free agency today, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the $10 million he’s set to earn.
More likely, he’d land in the $5-8 million range-right about where the Mets’ financial contribution in the trade lands.
Even looking at a more statistically aligned comp like Willi Castro-who’s posted a 3.5 fWAR over the past two seasons, nearly identical to McNeil’s 3.4 fWAR-it’s telling. Castro just secured a two-year, $12.8 million deal, which averages out to $6.4 million per year.
That’s a pretty fair benchmark for what McNeil might have commanded on the open market. In that light, the Mets paying $5.75 million to move him doesn’t look like a loss-it looks like market value.
And let’s not overlook the Athletics’ side of this. They’re in a tough spot.
Convincing established players to join a rebuilding team with an uncertain future isn’t easy. Sometimes, you have to overpay a bit-whether that’s in dollars, prospects, or both-to get deals done.
For them, McNeil is a low-risk, potentially high-reward bat who could stabilize the lineup and maybe even rebuild some trade value if he bounces back.
As for the Mets, this was a move about flexibility. They offload a good chunk of salary, open up a roster spot, and take a flyer on a young arm in Rodriguez.
He’s not a blue-chip prospect, but he’s a lottery ticket-one with enough upside to make the deal worthwhile. And in this market, that’s more than you might expect for a player coming off surgery and a subpar season.
So while the return didn’t come with fireworks, it didn’t need to. The Mets made a practical move, one that fits the current financial landscape of baseball. And when you look at how similar players are being valued right now, it’s hard not to see this as a quiet win.