The Athletics are a Perfect Fit for this New York Mets Infielder

The A's could land this veteran in trade with the Mets to fill their hole at second base.

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

News broke earlier this week that the A's made an offer to free agent infielder Ha-Seong Kim to patrol second base this season. The club offered him a 4-year deal worth $48 million, but he ended up signing a one-year pact back in Atlanta.

We discussed how this offer could mean the A's are looking to move in a new direction at second base moving forward, and how the team will have to pivot to other options at the position.

Since the A's options are flying off the boards, free agency doesn't have much more to offer in the A's price range. Sure, Bo Bichette is willing to move to second base, but he'd likely not sign for anything less than $23-25 million annually. With the A's having top prospect Leo De Vries ready in the next couple of seasons, paying that much for a second baseman might be unrealistic.

Due to the lack of options in free agency, the A's could instead explore landing a second baseman via trade. The New York Mets just happen to be shopping a guy that might catch their eye.

New York Mets veteran Jeff McNeil is heading into his age-34 season, and has spent all eight of his big league seasons with the Mets. However, he's now on what will be the final year of his contract, and he's owed $15.75 million. As the Mets continue to hand out large contracts in free agency, getting at least some of McNeil's salary off their books might be in their best interest.

The more salary the A's take on would signal a lesser return headed back to New York in order to land McNeil. Because the A's look like they are willing to spend some money for a second baseman, they could easily take a large chunk of McNeil's salary. The AAV of the Kim deal was at $12 million, so they were already in McNeil's range.

Aug 25, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) reacts to hitting an RBI single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

McNeil is coming off a seemingly mediocre season with the Mets, but playing through an injury in September ruined his stats from last season. Pre All-Star break, McNeil batted .253 with an impressive .806 OPS.

He would even go on to have a good August, posting a .276 batting average. Notably, this season, McNeil finished in the 94th percentile in strikeout rate, which is very elite. His bat-to-ball skills and ability to reach base clearly would add to an already productive A's lineup.

Jeff McNeil's numbers would end up plummeting in September, as he was playing through injury, and would ultimately undergo a procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome following the season. McNeil is expected to be fully ready to go come Spring Training.

If the A's decided to swing a trade with the Mets to land McNeil, they'd not only get a solid hitter, but also a good defender. He comes with good range, even at 33 years old, and would hold down the second base position nicely this season.

It's worth noting that Jeff McNeil also has a club option worth $15.75 million for the 2027 season if the A's decided to pick it up. Given the uncertainty of the labor situation heading into next winter, it's unclear if that option would be exercised.

Depending on how much of McNeil's salary the A's are willing to eat for the upcoming season, they could even land something of value alongside him. Perhaps the A's would be able to land a mid-tier farmhand to bolster their pitching depth in the same deal.

The green and gold do have some in-house options to man second base if they elect to spend money elsewhere this offseason. With Zack Gelof likely missing some time at the beginning of the season, they still have Darell Hernaiz, Max Muncy, and Brett Harris as options to play second and third base.

Although McNeil wouldn't fill any long-term role with the A's, he could at least hold down the position for the 2026 season until one of their many young infielders are able to take over. Out of all their current options, trading for Jeff McNeil might be their best fit.