Mets Reportedly Planning to Move Jeff McNeil to 3rd Base Full Time

The New York Mets have a new manager, are getting new ownership and should have plenty of money to spend in the coming years.

Third base is not going to be a position of need in the near future, though, with Jeff McNeil holding down the hot corner.

Mets are planning on versatile Jeff McNeil playing 3B so they are not in that market. Only chance that changes is if they decide to switch McNeil and Robinson Cano and put Cano at 3B and McNeil at 2B. But that may be down the line a bit.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 9, 2019

McNeil was a pleasant surprise in 2019, slashing .318/.384/.531 and reaching the All-Star Game in his first full season. He did this while playing both in the infield and outfield.

A permanent shift to third solidifies a spot on the roster for the Mets and allows the team to focus elsewhere for improvements. That is one benefit of a bit of a disappointing 2018 season. McNeil got plenty of playing time and showed he was an asset to the team.

Here’s the last four players to record a batting average of at least .300 & an OBP of at least .380 in each of their first two major league seasons (min. 200 PA each year):

Frank Thomas: 1990-91
Albert Pujols: 2001-02
Ichiro Suzuki: 2001-02
Jeff McNeil: 2018-19#Mets @Mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/bS3pWXraOY
— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) December 3, 2019

This move bumps J.D. Davis from any time at third, likely sending him to the outfield. That is another spot taken care of, though the Mets would be wise to seek an upgrade out there as well.

Giving someone like McNeil full-time work lets the Mets fill a key position with someone not making too much money. Extra money means more to throw at free agents and a bullpen that doesn't collapse at any given moment.