New York Mets PBO David Stearns has basically gotten rid of half of the team’s well-known players this offseason. Brandon Nimmo was traded in late November. Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso signed with other clubs after Stearns didn’t do enough to retain them (and in Alonso’s case, didn’t care much to).
Now, you can add Jeff McNeil to the list. The veteran utility man and former All-Star was traded to the Athletics on Monday.
Pretty much everyone saw a McNeil trade coming this offseason. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
Even so, as McNeil’s departure from the Mets became real on Monday, a conversation was re-ignited about New York’s alleged clubhouse issues in 2025. Now with another veteran on the move, it’s becoming clear that Stearns felt the need to clean house this winter. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal touched on this in a column on Monday night.
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“With their trade of Jeff McNeil to the Athletics on Monday, this offseason the New York Mets have parted with three homegrown fixtures — Pete Alonso in free agency and McNeil and Brandon Nimmo in trades,” Rosenthal wrote (subscription required).
Rosenthal then cited an anonymous executive discussing the situation:
“What they’ve done tells you how big a s— show their clubhouse was,” said one rival executive who was granted anonymity for his candor. “The guessing is over. It was a disaster.”
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Stearns has made it clear that he’s looking to re-build the Mets around Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and young pitching. He hasn’t been afraid to move on from fan-favorite players and live with the backlash.