Mets reach agreement on extension with slugger

Jeff McNeil is sticking around.

The star slugger and the New York Mets came to an agreement Friday on a four-year, $50 million contract extension, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.

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With the deal, the Mets and McNeil avoid arbitration.

Per the New York Post’s Joel Sherman: In the arbitration exchange, the Mets had offered $7M, McNeil had countered at $7.75M. McNeil’s average value on his contract is now $12.5M. That gives the ‘23 Mets 15 players whose average salary is $10M or more (that includes what they owe Robinson Cano this year).

McNeil was this year’s National League batting champion with a .326 average. In 589 plate appearances, the second baseman hit 39 doubles, nine home runs, 62 RBIs and struck out just 61 times.

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The Mets’ new projected payroll plus tax is around $467 million, according to Passan. That would “smash the major league record.” Owner Steve Cohen is clearly not holding back this offseason.