The Mets and Jeff McNeil have reportedly reached a four-year, $50 million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is pending a physical.
The agreement reportedly will also include a fifth-year club option that could potentially be worth $63.75 million. McNeil, the National League batting champion, along with his agent met with the Mets leadership at Citi Field this week to secure a deal.
McNeil was slated to attend an arbitration trial with the club as he previously requested $7.75 million, and the Mets only offered $6.25 million. But, according to Passan, further discussions led to the Mets keeping the two-time All-Star past his remaining two years and buying out multiple free agent seasons.
The 2022 season was a rebound campaign for McNeil after posting his worst statistical year in ’21. The 30-year-old posted a .326 batting average, a .382 on-base percentage while recording 39 doubles, nine home runs, 62 RBIs and 61 strikeouts in 589 appearances at the plate. Even more, since McNeil made his ’18 MLB debut, he has posted only 242 strikeouts in 2,039 career plate appearances. Per ESPN, his strikeout rate sits among the top ten with at least 1,000 plate appearances since he started his MLB career.
Aside from his batting resurgence, McNeil contributed in a reliable way at second base for the Mets, winning his first Silver Slugger award in November, becoming the first Met to secure the honor since Yoenis Céspedes and the first second baseman to win the award since Edgardo Alfonzo in ’99.
McNeil also spent 47 games in the outfield for a Mets team that eliminated from the postseason by the Padres in the wild-card round.
