The New York Mets were expected to be active on the trade market this winter, and they got that going before Thanksgiving.
On Sunday, as NFL action captured most of the sports world's attention, the Mets swung a deal with the Texas Rangers, the rare veteran-for-veteran trade.
ESPN's Jeff Passan reported these details on Sunday evening:
- Mets receive: 2B Marcus Semien
- Rangers receive: OF Brandon Nimmo
There are a number of elements here that make this a surprising trade.
The first is that Nimmo has been with the Mets his entire MLB career.
He was a first-round pick, 13th overall, in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Mets out of East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The kid from Wyoming has been in the Mets' organization ever since.
He made his MLB debut in 2016, and he has played in 1,066 games for the Mets. That includes a.262 average,.364 on-base percentage, 188 doubles, 135 home runs and an.802 OPS.
Nimmo had a full no-trade clause in his contract, so he must've approved of a move to Texas.
The Mets' weak point in their lineup also appears to be in the outfield, so getting rid of Nimmo might foreshadow another move.
Semien is also an interesting acquisition, given that he's 35 years old and coming off a worse-than-usual season.
In 2025 for the Rangers, Semien hit 15 home runs, drove in 62 runs, stole 11 bases, batted.230 and put up just a.669 OPS.
The Mets clearly felt that Semien, who is also a good fielder at second base, was more valuable to their roster makeup than Nimmo.
They were also looking for a vibes change after a terrible collapse saw the Mets fall out of an NL Wild Card spot on the final weekend.
Semien is known as a solid clubhouse guy, and so the Mets and Rangers have tried swapping one veteran for another in hopes of sparking both clubs.
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