00:00With the trade of Jeff McNeil, that's four longtime Mets who are now gone off the roster.
00:05This one's going to hurt less than the others, perhaps, but Jeff McNeil was a contributor for a
00:10long time with the New York Mets. 80 home runs, won a batting title, 284 batting average. He
00:16actually was a two-war player last year, which is a pretty good player. Showed a lot of versatility
00:21that helped with the trade. They were able to get Jordan Rodriguez, a 17-year-old pitcher,
00:27and only paid $5.75 million. I say only, but he did have $17.75 million to go. So
00:34the Mets saved $12 million with this deal, and perhaps it helps them do a little more
00:39with what they're going to do this offseason. Obviously, there's a lot of work to be done.
00:44Nothing to do with this deal. This was a deal that was a long time in coming. McNeil had to be traded.
00:49They'd obviously signed or acquired Marcus Semien in the Brandon Nimmo deal. Now, of course,
00:56it's Nimmo, it's Alonzo, it's Diaz, and McNeil all gone, but the Mets are remaking their team. Can't
01:02blame them for that, but long way to go. A lot to do. Obviously, they need pitching. They need
01:09bullpen help. They need a starter or two. They need an outfielder, but they were bulked up on the
01:16infield. They needed to move McNeil. He didn't have a position. He's going to be a starter in Oakland,
01:21and obviously, with the Mets, it would not have worked as a backup. They do make the trade,
01:27and it does make sense, but a lot to do for the Mets. I'm sure they're going to do it. I know the fans
01:33are getting antsy. I get it, but I think they've got the wherewithal. They've got the owner. I think
01:39their GM knows what he's doing. We shall see.
01:43So the Mets, they continue to revamp their core this offseason. Jeff McNeil is out the door. He's
01:50heading to Oakland, and this is a time for Mets fans to think about how a lot has changed in the
01:55last couple of weeks. Brandon Nimmo was traded away. Pete Alonzo and with Diaz, they were not
02:00re-signed, and now Jeff McNeil, part of that core of Mets players, is out the door. And look,
02:06I think when you think back about Jeff McNeil, you'll think back about how he was a two-time
02:11all-star, how he was a former NL batting champion. That was four years ago, but since then,
02:17the numbers really haven't been that great. He never reached that height once again. He was 33
02:21years old. Yes, he had versatility as a guy who could play multiple positions. You saw him play
02:27around the infield a little bit. You saw him also play in the outfield even last year, played some
02:31center field, but the numbers were declining. The defense also was declining. It was time to move
02:36on. So the Mets make this trade. They're able to save some money here, about $10 million for next
02:41season. And look, you can think about Jeff McNeil as a good Met, and thank you for the memories and
02:45the time and the two-time all-star, the batting champion, or all of that stuff. But the Mets are
02:51trying to change his core, and they're also trying to change the vibes in the locker room. And we knew
02:55the vibes were not good between Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor. So that wasn't going to work,
03:01because Lindor is the face of the franchise. And I think what Mets fans have to try to embrace at least
03:07bit, because some are going to be sad about the fact that some of these guys are gone. But
03:11at some point, you have to try to change the culture. And that is what the Mets are trying to
03:16do here. And so you can say to Jeff McNeil, thank you for the memories. We love what you did here in
03:23Flushing. Fans will appreciate you. If you come back, they'll give you a standing ovation. But where this
03:30team was trying to go, where they are trying to go right now, if you want to call the future now,
03:33the future is now. Here, as we approach 2026, Jeff McNeil was not going to be a part of it.
03:40And I think a lot of Mets fans will feel what I'm saying when they say,
03:43thanks for the memories, but on to the next one.
03:49Mets fans, if you bleed orange and blue, you need to be locked in to Straight Outta Flushing.
03:54I'm Dexter Henry, bringing you the show that's all about what's really going on in Queens.
03:58From clutch homers, to bullpen meltdowns, to prospect hype, we break it all down. Plus,
04:03I'm chopping it up with beat writers, content creators, and diehard Mets fans who live this
04:08Mets life just like you. Real talk, real fans, real Flushing baseball. This is Straight Outta Flushing.
Comments