Mets, Jeff McNeil agree to a four-year, $50 million contract extension

The deal includes a club option for the 2027 season

The Mets have struck a deal with one of their homegrown stars, agreeing to a four-year $50 million contract extension with star INF Jeff McNeil, according to ESPN.

The deal includes a club option for a fifth season which would make the deal worth $63.75 million.

The deal ensures the Mets have control over McNeil through the 2027 season, who will be 35 years old that year.

McNeil was first called up by the Mets in 2018 as a 26-year-old and burst onto the big league scene, hitting .329/.381/.471 over the season’s final 63 games. He followed his debut with a strong 2019 season, posting a career-high .916 OPS with 23 home runs in his first full season, also a career-high.

McNeil, 30, was originally drafted by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2013 amateur draft. He won his first batting title in 2022, hitting .326/.382/.836 with 39 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 62 RBI and 140 OPS+ over 148 games, posting 5.7 bWAR as the club’s primary second baseman. He is a lifetime .307/.370/.458 hitter over five seasons.

He was eligible for arbitration for the second time this winter, but earlier in January, he and the club failed to reach an agreement ahead of the imposed deadline.

But in the end, the two sides were able to workout a club-friendly, long-term marriage with each other.