🔥 HOT NEWS: With Brandon Nimmo suddenly gone, the Mets are poised for a dramatic next step that could shake up the NL landscape ⚡.DD
The Mets began a huge shakeup by trading Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien.
The New York Mets made a huge splash on Sunday with a shocking deal to send outfielder Brandon Nimmo, their longest-tenured player, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien.
The deal sent shockwaves around the league as it signaled what could be the beginning of a massive overhaul to the Mets’ core.
Nimmo, who will turn 33 in March, was under contract through 2030 and due to make roughly $20.5 million per season. Semien, who turned 35 in September, is due to make roughly $26.5 million a year and is under team control through 2028, meaning the Mets take on more money in the short-term but are out of the contract earlier than they would have been by retaining Nimmo.
This deal signals a significant re-shaping of the Mets’ roster, which now removed one of its core pieces in the form of Nimmo, who along with free agent Pete Alonso and second baseman Jeff McNeil were the anchors of the homegrown Mets from 2018 through last season. Now there is a realistic chance all three players will be ex-Mets by the time the winter is complete.
What Moves Could Come Next For The Mets
The first conclusion to draw from the deal is that Semien does fit Stearns’ desire to improve his team’s run prevention as he still grades out as an elite second baseman defensively. With less pressure by hitting lower in the lineup, Semien could bounce back offensively as a much-needed right-handed bat with pop, which was an ill-fit for Nimmo’s ideal skill set as a leadoff man.
With Semien locked in at second base, the Mets have now blocked Jeff McNeil from his primary position. While McNeil’s versatility could allow him to play a jack-of-all-trades utility role in 2026, the Mets may look to end the relationship by shipping McNeil out in exchange for another player that is a better roster fit.
Having Semien for three years also raises intriguing questions about top prospect Jett Williams, whose best position is at second base and appears to be behind Carson Benge in the team’s center field pecking order. Williams could assume the McNeil utility role at the beginning of his career or be trade bait to address the Mets’ big need to improve their starting rotation.
The other obvious thing to watch is how the Mets plan to fill their hole in left field. Moving on from Nimmo gives the Mets the ability to pursue the two top outfielders on the board, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, while keeping center field available for Benge in spring training.
Tucker is the top player on the market and would command at least $300 million in a contract, but it remains to be seen if Stearns wants to lock in three massive contracts in his position player group. The more likely target would be Bellinger, who can help the team at three different positions (left field, center field and first base) and gives Stearns more options to build out his roster.
The big takeaway from the Nimmo trade is that the 2026 Mets will look far different from the team fans have been used to over the past five years. That take may prove controversial, but Stearns is paid handsomely by team owner Steve Cohen to make difficult decisions and this one trade could be the first in a string of dominoes that reshape how the Mets are built moving forward.
