The Mets are looking for a right-handed bat, but are they still in on Luis Robert Jr. ?

Also - replacing Jeff McNeil might be easier than the others who have departed

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• The Mets continued the gutting of their long-time core by agreeing to a deal to send versatile Jeff McNeil to the Athletics (Story)

• The Mets are looking for a right-handed bat for their lineup, although Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman will likely command more years than the Mets will “tolerate” (Athletic)

• With McNeil now joining Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz as former Mets, LHP David Peterson (2020) is now the club’s longest tenured player

• The Mets introduced free-agent signee Jorge Polanco on Monday afternoon - he said he sold himself to suitors as someone who can play first base regularly and has been working out there since last season to prepare for the possibility (SNY)

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Rumor Mill 💨

• The Reds continue to talk with the White Sox about a trade for Luis Robert Jr. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

• The Pirates have engaged in multiple virtual meetings with Japanese third baseman Kazumo Okamoto (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

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Roster Moves 📰

• Signed RHP Luke Weaver

• Traded IF/OF Jeff McNeil and cash to Athletics for RHP Yordan Rodriguez

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What I’m Reading 📖

• Cody Bellinger fits the Mets needs - Will they make the move? (Athletic)

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The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

In the latest episode of the podcast, Rich MacLeod and Andrew Claudio discuss the best moments from the 2025 season.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Jeff McNeil may be significantly easier to replace than other departed Mets ✍️

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

On Monday afternoon, the Mets agreed to send Jeff McNeil to the Athletics in exchange for a minor league pitching prospect. While the actual team and return may have come as a surprise, the fact that McNeil was traded certainly did not.

Even before David Stearns and the front office made it clear they intended to overhaul this team’s roster with the exiles of franchise stalwarts Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz, McNeil’s fit on the 2026 Mets was ambiguous to say the least.

It seems amazing the longest-tenured Met is now David Peterson (2020), someone who is also reportedly on the block.

The Mets have been outwardly resolute in their desire to get better defensively, and McNeil’s hold on the starting second base job was tenuous even before last season ended. But that’s not to say he wasn’t a valuable Met.

In parts of eight seasons in Queens, the Santa Barbara, CA native slashed .284/.351/.428 in nearly 1,000 games. Perhaps most importantly, he played every single position other than pitcher and catcher for the Mets, and his versatility and willingness to bounce around the diamond as needed is an underrated skillset. He did have a quietly good season at the plate last season with his 111 wRC+ (11 percent above league average).

McNeil made two All-Star teams and won the batting title in 2022. He will be missed, although the clubhouse drama that followed him around probably won’t which was arguably another reason why the Mets decided to move him. But the presence of two names in the Mets system made him more expendable than the other big names that have walked out the door this winter:

Jett Williams and A.J. Ewing.

The 22-year-old Williams has been near or atop the Mets prospect rankings since the day the organization made him the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Splitting last season between Binghamton and Syracuse, Williams slashed .261/.363/.465 with 17 homers, 52 RBI, 34 doubles, seven triples, and 34 stolen bases. But what makes him such an intriguing prospect is the fact that he’s a plus defender at all three up-the-middle positions—shortstop, second base, and center field.

Then there’s Ewing, who after a monster 2025 campaign saw his name skyrocket up the organization’s depth chart.

In 124 games across three different minor league levels, Ewing slashed .315/.401/.429 with 39 extra-base hits, 55 RBI, and 70 stolen bases. Like Williams, he’s also adept at several different positions. Throughout his minor league career, he’s logged significant time in all three outfield spots as well as second base.

Williams is on track to help the big-league club as soon as the early part of ‘26 while Ewing is probably about a year behind.

The Mets will also unquestionably be in the external markets to fill McNeil’s roster spot in perhaps a different way. They’re looking for a right-handed bat for their lineup, something they need for balance, that which McNeil made too lefty-heavy before he was dealt. That may not be a big free agent, but it could be equally as valuable as McNeil was but from a different angle.

Again, McNeil is probably quite easy to replace, or easier to replace than some of the other gaps they’ve willfully created.

In Alonso, the Mets lost one of the sport’s preeminent power hitters. Sluggers capable of consistently clubbing 35+ home runs a season do not grow on trees.

Diaz was simply put, the best closer in baseball.

And Nimmo was a reliable soldier who did everything right.

McNeil was a good player—arguably better than people realize. But his most valuable attribute was his ability to play so many different positions. Williams and Ewing both give the Mets long-term flexibility in terms of their roster construction, and it’s safe to assume both players played a role in the team deeming McNeil expendable.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Mariners signed utilityman Rob Refsnyder (Official)

• Philaelphia inked veteran reliever Zach Pop (Official)

• The Cubs added to their catching depth by bringing in Christian Bethancourt (NY Post)