Mets' Struggling All-Star Could be in Danger of Getting Replaced in Second-Half

This struggling Mets' All-Star could be in danger of getting replaced in the second-half as his team pushes for a spot in the postseason.

Jul 14, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) runs the bases during a RBI double during the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

It's time for this struggling former two-time All-Star and NL batting champion to step up as the New York Mets sit one game ahead in the Wild Card race with the second-half of the regular season beginning on Friday.

It has been a strange couple of seasons for second baseman/corner outfielder Jeff McNeil, who had a poor 2021, 2023 and first-half of 2024 despite winning a batting title two seasons ago.

McNeil initially looked like a homegrown franchise cornerstone, tearing the cover off the ball after debuting down the stretch of 2018 before making the All-Star team in 2019 in his first full season in the major leagues. Now, he could be replaced in the near future if he does not turn things around at the plate, and fast.

Spark plug infielder and latino pop sensation Jose Iglesias has essentially claimed the second base job. But Starling Marte is out indefinitely with a knee injury, which has opened up playing time in right field for the versatile McNeil and others.

While the 32-year-old did show a little bit of life offensively prior to the All-Star break with a .250/.348/.400 slash line in his final seven games, his overall numbers on the season are abysmal. In 88 games, he is slashing a career-worst .216/.276/.314 with a .590 OPS, five home runs and 24 RBIs.

Due to Marte's injury, and McNeil's underperformance, the Mets could be inclined to go out and acquire a corner outfield bat ahead of the deadline such as Washington Nationals slugger Jesse Winker. The 30-year-old is a rental piece and was displaced by Washington's top prospect James Wood. The lefty swinger is slashing .260/.374/.432 with a .806 OPS, 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 94 games this year.

McNeil is still under contract for two more years and is owed a total of $15.75 million in 2025 and 2026. He also has a club option for the same figure in 2027. Once upon a time, the Mets were shopping him around for pitching help after the 2021 season, but this was well before he signed a four-year, $50 million extension, which came after he won the batting title in 2022.

So for McNeil, he can either take the right field job by reverting back to form at the plate or move to a bench role should he not be able to figure things out. He likely doesn't have much trade value at this point, so moving him for pitching at the deadline is hard to envision. If McNeil were to catch fire here soon, it would help eliminate an area of need for the Mets with the deadline on the horizon.