Sunday night’s news of the Mets trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien felt like it came out of nowhere. While Nimmo had been mentioned as a potential trade candidate, it was still a bit jarring for Mets fans to see the homegrown outfielder dealt at this point in the MLB offseason, just a few years removed from singing a new eight-year contract.
So how exactly did the trade come to be?
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Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns met with the media on Monday to discuss just that, but started by thanking Nimmo for everything he had done for the organization.
“From the moment the Mets drafted Brandon, he did everything right here,” Stearns said. “He represented the organization exceptionally well, on and off the field, and really was a great Met. We wish Brandon and his family nothing but the best as they embark on the next phase of Brandon’s career with the Texas Rangers.”
“These are always tough decisions. This was not easy,” Stearns added later. “Everyone here thinks very highly of Brandon, but in order to create the type of sustainable championship-caliber play that we seek to have here, at times these types of decisions are necessary.”
According to Stearns, the Mets and Rangers had identified Semien and Nimmo as potential fits early in the offseason, but trade talks really began to pick up after the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, which took place between Nov. 10-13.
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“This is something that really probably gained steam last week after the GM Meetings,” Stearns explained. “I think throughout the offseason, Texas had looked at Nimmo as a very attractive fit for them, and we had looked at Semien as a potentially really good fit for us, but we didn’t really line up and start making progress on this until I think towards the tail end of the GM Meetings into last week.
“These are difficult deals to put together. … You’re talking about two players who are embedded in their organizations, who have had success there, and clearly in Brandon’s case you’re talking about a player with no-trade protection.”
As far as what Semien adds to the Mets, Stearns praised everything that the 35-year-old brings to the table. A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Semien’s offensive numbers were a tad down in 2025 (.669 OPS, 15 home runs, 62 RBI in 127 games), but the veteran, according to Stearns, is much more than his offensive output.
“Marcus brings an elite level of defense,” Stearns said. “He’s one of the best defensive infielders in baseball and has been for a number of years. He’s a winner. He brings a winning drive and determination that we think is going to fit well in our clubhouse, and he balances our lineup from the right side, which is something we were seeking to do.”
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Stearns later added: “This is a player who can contribute to winning baseball in a variety of ways, and the bat may not actually lead the way at this point in his career. We think there’s likely some bounce back in his offensive game, but what we’re counting on at the top of his skill set is the contributions he can make for us defensively, how he can perform on the bases, and we think those are going to help us win games.
“I think as we really began to dig in on who this person was, talked to his former teammates, former coaches, people who have been around him, this is someone who takes his craft incredibly seriously. Someone who does everything he can on a regular basis to get in the lineup, to perform at a high level, practices hard and holds those expectations of his teammates as well, and I think that’s going to fit in very well with our group.”
