Jeff McNeil on Mets' moves: 'If we get in the playoffs, are we blowing up the team?'
Former Met Jeff McNeil reacts after striking out and ejected by home plate umpire Scott Barry during a game against the Texas Rangers at Citi Field on Sep. 12, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Jeff McNeil was doing something he loves -- playing golf in Monterey, California-- when he found out on Monday that had been traded by the Mets to the A's.
“I had a text from [David] Stearns going, ‘Hey, please give me call,’” McNeil said on Tuesday on a Zoom call. “I was like, ‘I 100% just got traded.’ I knew it was a possibility. I took that phone call. It was a quick phone call. I thanked him for everything and he thanked me for everything. … Definitely a crazy day.”
McNeil, 33, was briefly the longest-tenured Mets player after Brandon Nimmo was traded to Texas earlier this offseason. That honor didn't last long, as McNeil was himself dealt along with $5.75 million to the A's for 17-year-old pitcher Yordan Rodriguez.
Instead of Citi Field, McNeil will call a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento his home in 2026 as the A's are still two or three years away from moving into a new stadium in Las Vegas.
“It’s a super fun team to watch,” McNeil said. “Just a super fun, young team. They have a great young core. I just want to do my part to help them out. I’m super excited to be a part of it. I think we’re going to have a good squad.”
McNeil, who is expected to play mostly second base with the A's, expressed surprise that the Mets let his buddy Pete Alonso leave as a free agent to sign with the Orioles.
"I think it definitely was a little bit surprising the Mets weren’t too in on him,” McNeil said. “I know he’s one of the best first basemen in baseball, and who doesn’t want that on your team? I know he was in some talks with the Orioles, Red Sox. I knew a few other teams were out there who really wanted him.
"At the end of it, you really want to go to a place you’re truly wanted. For him, I think that was the Orioles. Super-happy he got that deal he wanted. He’s going to have a great year."
As for the Mets, the only team he has ever played for, McNeil said: "We missed the playoffs by one game. If we get in the playoffs, are we blowing up the team? Who knows? It is a business, though, and the Mets decided to go this route, thinking it’s best for them in the long run. I want to wish them the best of luck. But for me, I’m an A now, super-excited to play with this young core. Ready to get going.”
Oh, and about his round of golf: McNeil, who got the text from Stearns on the 14th hole, played on and finished with a 73.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
