NY Mets News: Jeff McNeil breaks silence on trade to Athletics

David Stearns and the New York Mets aren’t afraid to roll the dice in the MLB offseason. Making moves left to right, Jeff McNeil has been the latest member of the team to be shown the exit door. As he heads off to join the Athletics, the former batting champion sent his former team a sincere message.

The Mets have stepped on the gas after a slow and disheartening start to the offseason. Perhaps, watching Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso step away was all New York needed to get going. Now, the Mets boast a revamped lineup for the 2026 MLB season. However, they are far from done.

As McNeil embarks in a new challenge in MLB, the two-time All-Star delivered a farewell message for the organization he called home during eight years in the league.

“New York will always be a part of my story. The Mets organization is all I have ever known since being drafted in 2013, and it has been an incredible run. I’m incredibly thankful for every moment, every lesson, and every memory along the way,” McNeil wrote on an Instagram post.

“I’m especially grateful for the fans who welcomed me and my family and made New York feel like home for so long. Thank you to Steve and Alex Cohen, the coaching staff, and my teammates who made this journey so meaningful. With so much gratitude, it’s time to turn the page and embrace the next chapter in green and gold.”

Who was McNeil traded for?

In a move that raised several eyebrows across Queens and the rest of the nation, the Mets shipped McNeil away to the A’s in exchange for minor-leaguer Yordan Rodriguez.

In addition to the 2022 Silver Slugger Award winner, New York sent $5.75 million to the organization temporarily in West Sacramento. That should help the currently nomad MLB team allocate McNeil’s $15.75 million salary for the 2026 campaign.

Moreover, if the Athletics don’t exercise McNeil’s $15.75 million club option for the 2027 campaign, the Mets would be footing the bill once again. According to MLB.com, New York would be responsible for the $2 million buyout should the unofficial West Sacramento team decline McNeil’s option.