The retooling Mets jettisoned another core player Monday, trading second baseman Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for minor league right-hander Yordan Rodriguez in a deal that left pitcher David Peterson as New York's longest-tenured player.
New York will send up to $7.75 million to the A's to offset some of the $17.75 million remaining on McNeil's $50 million, four-year contract.
McNeil follows Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Díaz in leaving the underperforming Mets, who failed to reach the playoffs this year despite the second-highest payroll in the majors behind the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.