How the Marcus Semien blockbuster trade could help bring All-Star bat to Royals

Late November weekends usually don’t generate much, if any, important baseball news. So it was that ESPN baseball guru Jeff Passan’s surprising late Sunday afternoon revelation that the Rangers were trading second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets for pitcher Brandon Nimmo shook the majors. And the deal’s tremors may shake up offseason opportunities for the Kansas City Royals.

Why the startling deal could impact the Royals isn’t difficult to imagine. After the club’s needy offense contributed much to its failure to make the 2025 playoffs, Kansas City needs to find ways to make its corner outfielders and second basemen more productive.

And the Mets might have a player capable of helping in both those critical areas — Semien’s arrival in New York could, and probably does, make two-time All-Star Jeff McNeil, who customarily splits his seasons between second base and the outfield, expendable.

But is pursuing McNeil a wise path for Royals general manager J.J. Picollo to take? Or should he pass on the versatile player who’s known no other team but the Mets since breaking into the majors in 2018?

Whether Jeff McNeil can help the Royals at the plate is debatable

At first glance, McNeil offers some good offensive credentials. His stellar .326 average led the majors in 2022, the same season he boasted a .382 OBP, landed his second National League All-Star berth, and won a Silver Slugger award. He clubbed 23 home runs in 2019 (also an All-Star campaign for McNeil) and has reached double-digits in homers for three straight years. And his career .351 OBP and career 117 wRC+ are tough to ignore.

McNeil also draws a lot of walks and doesn’t strike out much.

But all isn’t rosy when it comes to McNeil’s bat. Two outstanding seasons boost his career wRC+— he posted a 144 and 140 in 2019 and 140 in 2022 — but he’s also been below 100 in three different years. His career average is .284, but he batted .243 this year and .238 in 2024. And his hard-hit and barrel rates are among the majors’ lowest.

Defensively, McNeil won’t win any Gold Gloves, but he also won’t be a big liability.

Jeff McNeil’s contract might be a bit much for the Royals to swallow

Because McNeil is under contract, trading for him is the only way the Royals can bring him to Kansas City. But his deal with the Mets could stand in the way — he’s due $15.75 million for 2026, the final season of the four-year, $50 million pact he signed before spring training opened in 2023 and which requires any club trading for him to pay him a $500,000 assignment bonus.

Add to that equation the $2 million the Royals would have to pay him if they decline his club option for 2027, or the $15.75 million they’d have to pay him if they pick that option up, and the total financial outlay might be more than the club wants to pay for a player for whom 2026 will be his age-34 season.

The Royals should pass on Jeff McNeil

At the end of the day, Picollo should look elsewhere for corner outfield and second base help.

Bringing back free agent Mike Yastrzemski has some downside, but is a move the Royals may be more prone to make. Other, younger outfielders are also on the market, and the club could certainly do worse than trading for St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan, who would bring a good bat to Kansas City — especially at second base.

And if Picollo misses on Donovan, the club may well be set with Jonathan India and Michael Massey returning at second.