Mets sign Jeff McNeil to four-year extension

The Mets and Jeff McNeil have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $50 million, according to Jeff Passan. The deal includes a fifth-year club option that could run the deal up to $63.75 million.

You may recall that McNeil was the lone Met to not settle on a contract with the club ahead of the January 14 arbitration deadline. With the extension, that issue has now been resolved. McNeil was set to hit free agency following the 2024 season, so this deal buys out his final two arbitration years and keeps him in Queens for two additional seasons beyond that, and possibly three.

McNeil, who turns 31 on April 8, is coming off a career year in which he won the National League batting title, leading the league with a .326 batting average. On top of that, he earned his first career Silver Slugger award, was named to his second NL All Star team, and finished 15th in MVP voting. The second baseman posted a career-best 5.9 fWAR while finishing with a 143 wRC+.

With McNeil locked up, and with their offseason shopping all but done, it will be interesting to see whether the club turns their attention towards a Pete Alonso extension, and if the first baseman is open to extension talks. Alonso, who recently received a one-year, $14.5 million contract—the largest contract ever given to a first baseman in arbitration—is signed through the end of the 2024 season and figures to command a hefty payday.