Steve Cohen, David Stearns set to meet with Juan Soto and Scott Boras

And let's talk about who's going to start for the Mets at second base

Justin Mears

Nov 08, 2024

What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎

Mets owner Steve Cohen will travel to southern California next week with David Stearns to meet in person with superstar free-agent outfielder Juan Soto and his agent, Scott Boras (NY Post)
Former Mets manager Buck Showalter recently reached out to both David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza to issue congratulatory messages about the Mets 2024 season

Rumor Mill 💭

3B Alex Bregman is reportedly willing to move to second base to help make him more attractive in free-agency (USA Today)
The White Sox are likely to trade left-handed ace Garrett Crochet this winter and are targeting position players in return (670 The Score)
RHP Jeff Hoffman is garnering free-agent interest as a starter (ESPN)
Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is generating early free-agent interest from the Orioles, Red Sox, and Dodgers (MLB Network)
While its unclear if Japanese RHP Roki Sasaki will be posted due to his age, the Dodgers remain the favorite to sign him if he comes over with the Mets and Cubs having already scouted him (Athletic)

Who should play second base for the Mets in 2024?… ✍️

The Mets are still in the early stages of putting together their ideal roster construction heading into 2025.

Much of the team’s offseason as a whole quite clearly depends on the outcome of the organization’s high-profile pursuit of Juan Soto this winter, and the Mets certainly hope to have him patrolling right field at Citi Field for the next decade.

Then there’s Pete Alonso, the beloved longtime Mets first baseman who is also a free-agent, and the complexion of the New York infield will look dramatically different should he not return. If Alonso departs, the Mets could acquire a third baseman and move Mark Vientos to first or choose to pursue another first baseman.

And how about Garrett Crochet? New York’s rotation is in desperate need of an influx of high octane young talent, and Crochet would certainly fit that bill. The price would be steep, but how often do 25-year-old bona fide left-handed aces become available?

With so many proverbial balls in the air concurrently, I feel like next to no attention has been paid to the Mets second base situation, which I personally find extremely interesting.

The easiest solution for the team would be to once again start incumbent Jeff McNeil at position four on your scorecard.

However, the 32-year-old has not come close to replicating his batting title winning season of 2022 over the last two years, and this past season really saw a decline in both his batting average and OBP. He swung the bat better in the 2nd half and remains plus defender up the middle, but to me, his primary value to the Mets is his versatility. McNeil has played every position but catcher and pitcher during his New York tenure, and while it would be difficult for me to just hand him the second base job for 2025, I would absolutely bring him back as a super utility man.

If McNeil isn’t going to start at second, the primary candidate to take over the job instantly becomes young Luisangel Acuna. After an underwhelming season in Triple-A in 2024, Acuna shined during his brief cup of coffee with the Major League team in September. In 14 games he slashed .308/.325/.641 with three homers, two doubles, and a triple. He impressed enough for the Mets to keep him on the postseason roster, and he often entered games as a defensive replacement in October.

And how about Mr. OMG himself, Jose Iglesias?

The greatest ‘glue guy’ in Mets history instantly changed the dynamic of the team’s clubhouse when he was called up in May and was an impact player on both sides of the ball for the duration of 2024. He fit in perfectly in Queens, and it makes a world of sense for the Mets to bring him back as a free-agent—either as the everyday second baseman or a back-up infielder.

The last name that has to be included in this mix is Ronny Mauricio, who missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL suffered in the Arizona Fall League a year ago. Mauricio possesses the rare blend of power and speed, and while it would be aggressive to hand him a starting position coming off a full calendar year’s absence, the Mets fully expect him to be a contributor in 2025.

That is, and this goes for Acuna too—unless one or both of them are included in a potential deal with the White Sox to acquire Crochet.

While the Mets second base situation obviously invites a lot of room for conversation and debate, I think the team is actually in an excellent spot at position number four on your scorecard. With so many legitimate options to turn to, it gives the team enough options to pursue everything they want to elsewhere on the roster, while knowing they’ll still be able to start someone they’re comfortable with playing every day at an important defensive position.

Around the League 🚩

The A’s re-signed veteran left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland (USA Today)
The A’s are not considering moving RHP Mason Miller back to the rotation (SF Chronicle)
The Red Sox will be heavily involved in the market for top shelf starting pitching (Boston Globe)