News

Jeff McNeil Signs $50 Million Contract – Why It’s A Steal For The Mets

The New York Mets might have themselves a steal with Jeff McNeil – especially if he continues to produce at his pace.

It’s not surprising to hear that the team reached a new contract with the second baseman – but usually arbitration results in one-year agreements.

Instead, both sides were able to strike a four-year extension worth $50 million.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

To make it even sweeter for the Mets, it will come with a team option that could take the deal up to $63.75 million.

One thing to consider is the Mets had two more years of arbitration left – so they gave him a bit of a premium now in hopes it will pay off down the line.

McNeil filed for $7.75 million in arbitration this year, while the Mets countered with $6.25 million. Both sides would have likely found a middle ground at around $7 million but it only would have been for one year.

That would have allowed him to potentially become a free agent at age 33 and cash in on a much bigger contract.

But the deal does give McNeil some security in case he faces a huge dip in production or deals with injuries that tank his value.

But no mistake – the contract is an absolute bargain for the Mets if he continues at his pace.

McNeil since earning a call-up to the Mets in 2018, has established himself as one of the best contact hitters in the MLB.

Last year, the soon-to-be 31-year-old slashed .326/.382/.454 (batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage).

That was enough to win him the National League Batting title, becoming the second Met ever to do it.

And McNeil for the most part has been a consistent hitter for the Mets, hitting over .310 in four of his five seasons with the Mets.

He was also the third-toughest player to fan last year, as his strikeout rate was only 10.3 percent, according to TeamRankings.

The only knock on McNeil is his power.

He crushed 23 home runs in 2019 but hasn’t hit 10 or more since.

But still, the Mets will live with it if he continues to get on base and remains a contender for the batting title.

New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu might have been a good comparison to McNeil.

LeMahieu wasn’t a big home run either but was an elite contact hitter.

In 2020, he slashed .364/.421/.590, which scored him a six-year $90 million contract with the Yankees just before turning 33.

While his numbers were better than McNeil’s, a big difference was LeMahieu was a free agent.

So the Mets may have saved themselves millions of dollars by acting before McNeil is eligible to hit the open market in a couple of years.

Instead, now, the team could potentially have McNeil locked up through his age-35 season, with a very manageable salary number.

Anthony Russo

Recent Posts

Diontae Johnson Excited To Move From Panthers To Ravens, Could Help In Playoff Push

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the…

16 hours ago

What Happened To Aaron Judge? After Yankees Fall Short In World Series, Fans Are Asking Questions

Aaron Judge seemed to flip the script on his disastrous World Series and postseason with…

16 hours ago

As The Yankees Collapse In World Series, Free Agency Battle For Juan Soto Begins

The New York Yankees' 2024 season came to a screeching halt Wednesday night when the…

2 days ago

Dodgers Win World Series In Game 5, Yankees Blow Five-Run Lead In Disastrous Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to win…

2 days ago

Brad Pitt Makes Surprise Appearance At Mexican Grand Prix To Shoot His Movie, ‘F1’

https://youtu.be/Y69VZZt9rt4 Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix’s practice round on Oct. 26.…

3 days ago

76er’s Joel Embiid Stays In NBA News Even While Not Playing

Joel Embiid’s name came up twice in NBA news this week as he continues to…

3 days ago