Tigers should be looking at Mets-Athletics trade as missed opportunity

The Mets lost their fourth long-tenured player off the offseason on Monday, when they traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for just a single pitching prospect in return. They also sent $5.75 million to cover about a third of what he's owed for 2026, along with $2 million for the buyout if the A's decline his 2027 club option.

The Tigers should've been in on this. McNeil is a true do-it-all utility man who spent some time at every position on the field except catcher and third base in 2025, which would've fit perfectly into Detroit's affinity toward versatile defensive players they can mix-and-match. And to add insult to injury, the A's are only paying $10 million for a two-time All-Star and only had to give up a single prospect who isn't even ranked.

That kind of trade should've been right up Scott Harris' alley. The Mets were clearly just looking to shed payroll and were willing to take the bare minimum to do it. As reluctant as he is to part with prospects, there's no way that the Tigers couldn't have bore to match the A's return.

Tigers could have made the exact same Mets-Athletics trade that sent Jeff McNeil to Sacramento

The Tigers still have yet to add a bat this offseason, and it really looks like they're not going to. Despite AJ Hinch's vow that the team wouldn't look exactly the same in 2026, Harris has since undermined those comments by saying that most of Detroit's growth is going to come from within. Which is to say that the Tigers don't have plans to add a bat, and the lineup is almost certainly going to look identical next season.

This is not a new complaint for Tigers fans, but it bears repeating. We know that the team has some real talent, and no doubt they're still working hard over the offseason. But why not add a single veteran bat to add some assurances? Are the Tigers really that opposed to giving up a single prospect and spending a measly $10 million on an All-Star?

There's no way to know if the Tigers were even in on this, of course. Maybe they didn't like McNeil for their own reasons. But if very palatable and doable trades like this just keep happening around the Tigers while they stand still, fans are going to keep asking questions.