When Brandon Nimmo signed a free agent contract to return to the Mets for eight years and $162 million in 2022, the veteran outfielder was excited about the idea of playing the rest of his career with the team that took a chance on a kid from Wyoming.
But the Mets core is no more. The Mets and Texas Rangers have agreed to a trade that would send Nimmo to Arlington in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien, a source confirmed to the Daily News. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the trade.
It’s not clear if any money is being exchanged or retained. Semien, a second baseman, is owed $72 million over the next three years while Nimmo has five years and $102.5 million left on his contract. Nimmo, 32, had no-trade protection he had to approve in order to facilitate the trade.
It’s a swap that doesn’t make a lot of sense on its face, especially given the Mets’ glut of infielders. However, it’s clear that it will precede other offseason moves. Left field is now vacant, giving the Mets the ability to move Jeff McNeil if they chose, or to pursue another option in left field.
Kyle Schwarber headlines the free-agent class in left field, but he would not be a defensive upgrade over Nimmo. The two are also about the same age, and the Mets aren’t fans of giving long-term contracts to players over the age of 30. Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker are also free agents, though signing one of them would require the Mets to reconfigure the outfield since Bellinger primarily plays in center field, and Tucker plays in right.
The Mets have no plans to move Juan Soto out of right field.
This represents a major shakeup in the team’s core. Nimmo has been with the club since he was drafted in the first round in 2011, and has been a key part of the clubhouse leadership group even before he signed his eight-year extension. Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz, two other long-tenured Mets, could leave in free agency this winter.
Nimmo’s defense regressed last season, but he hit .262 with a .760 OPS and 25 home runs. He compiled 2.9 bWAR and posted a 114 OPS+.
After being labeled as injury-prone earlier in his career, Nimmo has played at least 151 games in each of his last four seasons. He played through plantar fasciitis during the 2024 postseason that lingered into his 2025 season, and missed games with neck soreness, something he still deals with after crashing into the wall for a catch earlier in his career.
Semien, 35, hit .230 with a .669 OPS and 15 home runs last season, but won a Gold Glove for his strong infield defense. The Cal alum had 7 outs above average at second base, and a fielding run value of 6.
