What's in Store for Twenty-Four?: Jeff McNeil

[Edgy MD]

I like to alternate seasons where I've got it all together with seasons where everything is falling apart. All Star seasons followed by replacement-level seasons.

Good news! This year is on schedule to be the former!!

Bad news! I haven't been seen yet this spring!!

What am I gonna hit? Where am I gonna play? What filth is going to come from my mouth? I'm Jeff McNeil and if you've got a good prediction about me, then you've probably got a good prediction about the Mets. So what's your prediction?

[Benjamin Grimm]

He's been the anti-Howard Johnson, better in even-numbered years than odd.

I'm afraid I'm not optimistic about him. I predict he'll put up decent but not impressive numbers. Maybe .260, 10 homers. He'll start the season at second base, but will get moved to becoming a most-of-the-time outfielder by June or July if he gets pushed by Acuna or Williams, assuming that he's not blocked by Gilbert.

[Edgy MD]

I like that you're bullish on when the team's top prospects are going to arrive.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think we'll see two of them, if not all three, in 2024.

[Edgy MD]

And with Ronny Mauricio rehabbing the season away, that's big pressure coming at him from multiple quarters.

[MFS62]

Please somebody in the organization, tell him what is expected of him.
Will he be a Nomad, moving position to position in both the batting order and on the field?
If they do, I predict .275-15-60 - a gruntled blue collar employee, just putting in the hours.
If they just leave him at second base and bat him second, I predict .320-20-70 - a happy camper bringing joy to the field, the clubhouse, the fans and the All-Star voters.
Make it so.
Later

[Cowtipper]

He's an every-other-year guy, so I'm thinking we'll see a decent year from McNeil.

Actually, his final two months of 2023 were pretty great, so here's hoping he can carry that over.

[smg58]

It comes down to whether or not he deals with nagging injuries. He's a .320 hitter when fully healthy, but we've only seen that guy once in the last three seasons. That makes him hard to predict, but I'll be bullish and say .311/.375/.455. And at some point, our manager will be sufficiently clever to bat him ahead of our muscle and not behind it.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

That's right. It's about his health. He's not healthy this spring. Not a good sign.

[Edgy MD]

McNougat played yesterday in some minor-league game somewhere and expected to break the seal on his Spring Training Sunday in one of the split-quad games. I'm assuming it'll be whichever game is played at home.

[kcmets]

Looks kinda chubby this spring. Maybe he's another Met that needs
to be reminded that golf and the 19th hole are less important than
Mets 2024. I expect him to be in the top five of a few team offense
categories though. And him to lose a good 20 lbs.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This is Will Sammon answering a reader question in The Athletic:

What’s the likely return for trading McNeil? — Lee B.

WS: It’s interesting: Luis Arraez just netted the Marlins a solid haul of prospects, and it wasn’t all that long ago — 2022, really — that people were talking about McNeil and Arraez within the same breaths. Arraez, however, is five years younger than McNeil, 32. And unlike McNeil, Arraez has continued to hit above .300. At a time when the league’s batting average is around .240, McNeil is barely passing that mark, and other metrics like OPS+ point to below-average production. So, if McNeil isn’t doing the thing he’s supposed to be great at — batting average — he just isn’t of much value.

Speculatively, unless McNeil reclaims some success, the Mets may have to pay down a significant amount of the money owed to him in order to get a decent return on a possible trade. At an annual average value of $12.5 million, McNeil is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

The Mets may have replacement options in the future — but none of them are ready. Jett Williams (wrist) has been out the last couple of weeks in Double A, Luisangel Acuña has struggled offensively in Triple A and Ronny Mauricio is likely lost for the year.

[MFS62]

I'm still waiting to find out which is the real deal McNeil.
Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm really starting to think that he'll be an ex-Met by 2026.