Mets Mailbag: Can The Mets Bolster Their Pitching Staff By Trading Jeff McNeil?
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Although the lockout has put a damper on the hot stove portion of the offseason for now, the Mets have plenty of moves to make once the work stoppage concludes.
In the meantime, one popular topic of conversation as of late has been surrounding whether or not the Mets should trade utility man Jeff McNeil and what they could potentially get in return.
This brings us to the first question of our mailbag.
Mike Wise- @_mikewise_: If the Mets actually deal McNeil, what is the most likely return in your mind?
Thanks for the question, Mike. As multiple sources told Inside the Mets back in December, several teams called the Mets about McNeil's availability before the lockout and the club intends to place him on the trading block after the work stoppage is over.
If the Mets wind up shipping McNeil out of town, their goal is to acquire pitching help in return. Both the Mets and the rest of the league value McNeil as the player he was in his first 1,000 career at-bats, where he slashed .319/.383/.501/.884, as opposed to the rough 2021 campaign that he endured.
So, the Mets will only trade him if the price is right. And if the price is indeed right, I'd expect them to use McNeil in order to net a No. 3 starting pitcher to insert behind co-aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer in the rotation.
McNeil, 29, has a high ceiling based off his previous track record and is under cheap control for the next three seasons. The Mets should only trade McNeil if it can help bolster their pitching staff. And I believe that they will be able to do so by landing an above average starter with an expiring deal, such as Sean Manaea or Chris Bassitt, who are both heading into their final year of arbitration with the cost-cutting Oakland Athletics.
Big Ed- @Amazineddo: Is attempting to trade McNeil the right call for the Mets?
Good question, Ed. It would be difficult for the Mets to get rid of McNeil after just one bad season. McNeil initially looked like he was going to be a key member of their young core moving forward after proving to be a talented hitter in his first three major league campaigns.
However, McNeil and shortstop Francisco Lindor had a rocky first season together as a double play combination in 2021 and it is pretty clear that this duo lacks chemistry. McNeil refused to comply with the Mets' new-found defensive shifting philosophy, and tensions boiled over early-on, which led to the infamous rat-raccoon incident last May. This situation did not sit well with a number of teammates, and McNeil's relationship with several members of the roster is said to have soured over the past year, per sources.
McNeil and Lindor only played 18 more games together in the middle of the Mets' infield, before injuries and the deadline acquisition of Javier Báez interfered.
After the Mets failed to re-sign Lindor's good friend Báez this offseason, McNeil is now slated to be their starting second baseman in 2022. But It's hard to envision the Mets forcing this middle infield combo again between McNeil and Lindor.
The Mets have made it a priority to fix the clubhouse culture this winter by signing Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha. And they also hired an experienced leader to manage the club in Buck Showalter.
While there is a chance that Showalter can mend the rift between McNeil and Lindor, the Mets could instead acquire pitching help on the trade market and sign another big bat such as Kris Bryant to fill the void in their infield.
#LFGM- @HenrySanchez: Kris Bryant to Mets?
The Mets were among the several teams that showed interest in Bryant prior to the lockout. And they are still in need of another impact bat in the middle of their lineup after Báez left.
Steve Cohen was willing to offer $125 million to Báez in free agency, which they could potentially allocate towards signing Bryant on a five-year deal worth $25 million AAV.
By signing Bryant, the Mets could either stick him at third base and move Escobar over to second, or put Bryant in right field, which would make Canha a utility player. If Bryant signs a long-term deal with the Mets, he will likely be shifted to a corner outfield spot once one of their top prospect third basemen is ready for the majors in Mark Vientos and Brett Baty.
After speaking with several agents and rival executives last month, these individuals all echoed the same sentiment: If Cohen wants Bryant, he will find a way to get him.
Manach- @Manach_38: Does Nimmo's agent switch bring as much concern about a potential extension as fans think it does? And if so, does it make an acquisition of Seiya Suzuki and/or Kris Bryant more likely?
Good question. Brandon Nimmo left CAA for Boras Corp. recently and will now be represented by super agent Scott Boras.
The Mets have interest in discussing a potential extension with Nimmo once the lockout ends. But with Boras repping him, the probability of locking Nimmo up before his final year of arbitration has taken a hit. That's because Boras is known for getting his players paid in the fullest (Scherzer: three-year, $130 million deal with Mets), while encouraging them to test the free agent market, as he did with Michael Conforto, among others.
The promising news is that Boras and the Mets just struck a record-setting deal to bring Scherzer to Queens. So, It's possible that the two sides could head back to the table and get a Nimmo extension done during spring training. Nimmo has dealt with injury issues in the past, which might make it in his best interest to sign a deal prior to the 2022 season, as opposed to betting on himself. Bryant is another Boras client, but I don't think Nimmo's status will affect what the Mets do in free agency this winter.
Menthol Juul Pod Kiiiid- @MentholPod: Do you think the Mets will and should retire any of Carter, Strawberry and Wright's numbers?
The Mets recently announced that they will retire Keith Hernandez's No. 17 next season. Hernandez will join Casey Stengel (37), Gil Hodges (14), Tom Seaver (41), Jerry Koosman (36) and Mike Piazza (31) as the only members to have their jersey numbers retired in Mets history.
And with Cohen making it a priority to honor the team's tradition more, I do believe Gary Carter (8), Dwight Gooden (16), Darryl Strawberry (18) and David Wright (5) will eventually be next on this list.
