The Athletics are staring at another disappointing finish, and the roster questions are already piling up for 2027.
One of the biggest involves Jeff McNeil, the former Mets All-Star who could be on the move again after a strong second half. FanSided’s Zachary Rotman predicted Thursday that McNeil will not be back with the A’s next season.
“One strong half from McNeil likely won't be enough for the A's to pick up his $15.75 million club option for 2027, and with Leo De Vries getting closer to being big-league ready, I'm not sure the A's will be so eager to re-sign McNeil even at a lower number,” Rotman wrote Thursday.
McNeil has been productive at the plate, hitting .335/.361/.484 with 27 RBIs in the second half. He was a two-time All-Star with the New York Mets, but that may not be enough to keep him in West Sacramento.
The fit is part of the issue. Rotman pointed to a possible infield group of De Vries, Jacob Wilson, Zack Gelof and Nick Kurtz, with Max Muncy as a depth option, as the kind of setup that could define the A’s beyond 2027.
“An infield consisting of De Vries, Jacob Wilson, Zack Gelof and Nick Kurtz, with Max Muncy as a depth piece, should be quite good in 2027 and beyond,” Rotman wrote.
For an A’s club that is just one loss away from being eliminated from postseason contention, and with the Houston Astros needing only one more win to officially knock them out, McNeil’s future looks increasingly uncertain. The Athletics are in their second-to-last season in West Sacramento before their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.
In Other News...
Luis Severino Just Put A Big As Rotation Question In Play
Luis Severino has put a fresh layer of intrigue on the Athletics rotation picture as he settles into the second year of a three-year deal. The right-hander is still under contract through the current run, with a $22 million player option waiting for 2027, and that alone gives his next move outsized importance for a club trying to stabilize its pitching future.
Severinos comments have only sharpened the uncertainty around what comes next, especially with the team still operating out of Sutter Health Park for the time being. For the As, this is more than a contractual footnote, because whether Severino stays or eventually heads elsewhere could say as much about the setting around the franchise as it does about his own plans. [Read more 🡒]
Two Young A's Are Giving This Lost Season Real Meaning
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Henry Bolte has provided the other jolt. The young outfielder turned in a strong series against the Blue Jays, hitting .400 with two home runs and adding the kind of speed that can change a game in a hurry, as he also led MLB in stolen bases in September. For a lost season, those kinds of performances do more than pad the record book - they give the Athletics something real to evaluate, and a reason to keep watching even now. [Read more 🡒]
As Future Core Just Took Two Brutal Injury Hits
The Athletics next wave of young talent took a pair of tough blows this week, with infielder Leo De Vries and left-hander Jamie Arnold both dealing with significant injuries at a time when the organization is counting on its prospect depth to keep moving forward. De Vries, one of the more important names in that future core, is headed for a major setback that will keep him off the field for a long stretch, while Arnolds situation adds another layer of concern to a group the club had hoped would help shape its next competitive window.
Arnolds injury came in particularly jarring fashion, a comebacker leaving him with facial damage that has put his timetable in question even without surgery on the table. For an Athletics system trying to build momentum, losing two prominent prospects so quickly is the kind of news that can change the tone around the entire pipeline, especially when one recovery is measured in months and the other still has more unknowns than answers. [Read more 🡒]