The regular season is over, and option decisions are coming up. In an October 1 post, MLB Trade Rumors previewed the club options teams will soon have to pick up or decline. Mutual options were left out because neither side has picked one up in more than a decade.
One of the decisions belongs to the A's. McNeil, a second baseman, has a $15.75MM club option, and the Mets will pay his $2MM buyout under the terms of their December trade with Oakland's organization. According to the outlet, the Mets mainly wanted to shed salary, while the A's wanted a veteran utility player to support a young roster.
MLB Trade Rumors said the move mostly didn't work out. In 520 plate appearances, McNeil hit .264/.313/.368 with an 83 wRC+. His season split sharply: a .226/.290/.302 line and 59 wRC+ before the break, then a .310/.342/.451 line and 114 wRC+ after it.
The site still recommended that the A's walk away from the option. It noted that McNeil was barely above replacement level this year and turns 35 in April. It added that if the club wants him back, it should be able to re-sign him for less than the option price.
The preview also looked at Springs, who struggled this season. He had a 6.18 ERA over 29 starts, and his 17.8% strikeout rate was below average and well under any of his earlier seasons. MLB Trade Rumors said a minor league home park didn't help, but it also pointed to his 5.35 ERA on the road. Springs turned 34 last month.