Analyzing potential Mets aftershocks following franchise-altering Brandon Nimmo trade

It was jarring on Sunday night to see the news that the Mets were trading Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers for Marcus Semien.

However, if you recalled what David Stearns said during his end-of-season news conference — when he signaled a willingness to break up New York’s offensive core — that Nimmo has been dealt could not have possibly come as a surprise.

Advertisement

Back to that jarring part for a bit…

What makes this feel a bit like a bucket of cold water has been dumped on your head is the fact that Nimmo and the Mets had been synonymous ever since he made his MLB debut in 2016.

Nimmo wasn’t just a damn good player. He was a tireless worker, a true leader, and a Met who truly loved being a Met. For those reasons and more, this one stings.

At the same time, it can easily be argued that with Nimmo’s defense having regressed significantly (he was a negative in the outfield in 2025), his offense dipping from the height he was at between 2021 and 2023, and with five years remaining on his contract, that it was wise to move on now.

Advertisement

While it might be hard to do this with the trade of a beloved franchise player so fresh, it’s important to understand that this isn’t really about Nimmo for Semien — even though Semien provides Gold Glove defense at second base.

Rather, this is about clearing an outfield spot and lineup spot, which opens up a world of possibilities for the Mets that didn’t really exist before Sunday night.

Cody Bellinger / Imagn Images/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image

Prior to the Nimmo trade, Kyle Tucker — the crown jewel of free agency — wasn’t really a Mets fit. Now, he is. The same can be said for Cody Bellinger. But the Nimmo deal won’t be a failure if the Mets don’t land one of the aforementioned players. Not when there’s so many other options out there.

Advertisement

And there’s lots more intriguing players beyond the two mentioned above.

So, what’s next?

Perusing X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night, there were plenty of Mets fans who were up in arms over the deal and predicting that the team would just go defense-heavy at every open position instead of doing anything big. That’s not how this is going to go.

Yes, Stearns values defense. But he also knows the team needs serious offensive reinforcements. And guess what? There are players out there who are strong all-around players, too.

The most obvious thing would be for the Mets to swoop in and land a big outfielder. Tucker, who will be entering his age-29 season in 2026, looms as a pretty perfect fit. In a relatively down year for the Cubs in 2025, he still had an .841 OPS. This is a complete hitter who — like Juan Soto — does a tremendous job controlling the strike zone.

Advertisement

Tucker’s defense has slipped a bit, though, and his contract in terms of both years and dollars is expected to be massive.

If not Tucker, Bellinger would be a sensible option.

Beyond free agency, it all of a sudden makes a ton of sense for New York to explore what it would take to pry Jarren Duran from the Red Sox.

The 29-year-old Duran’s name was out there ahead of last season’s trade deadline. And with the Sox potentially in need at third base and/or second base — and the Mets flush with infielders — perhaps there’s a fit.

Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) rounds the bases en route to a triple during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field / Ken Blaze – Imagn Images

Twins star Byron Buxton could also potentially be snagged via trade. It’s also possible Fernando Tatis Jr. is available with the Padres for sale and possibly needing to trim payroll.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, the Mets could view top prospect Carson Benge as a left field option now and instead focus on adding a center fielder. They could also go internal in the outfield and train their efforts on the infield, where Pete Alonso‘s defense would be less of an issue now that they have Semien’s range to help cover for it. There’s also free agents Alex Bregman and Bo Bichette, who could be third base fits.

With Nimmo gone, Kyle Schwarber all of a sudden makes a lot more sense as a serious target — especially in a world where Alonso signs elsewhere.

Looking internal, the addition of Semien would seem to make the already possible trade of Jeff McNeilsomething that’s probable.

McNeil, who is entering the final year of his contract, could provide serious value as a super utility player capable of playing every infield spot but shortstop and all three outfield spots. But if the Mets don’t view that as his role, it’s unclear what his role would be.

Advertisement

McNeil does not have the defensive profile to be an everyday center fielder, and does not have the offensive profile to be an everyday left fielder, third baseman, or first baseman.

The Nimmo trade could also have ramifications in the farm system.

With the exception of Nolan McLean, it seems possible that New York could trade basically any of their young players, perhaps as part of a package for a top-of-the-rotation starter — Tarik Skubalor otherwise.

And with second base now taken for the foreseeable future, it’s fair to wonder if Jett Williams— whose best fit is at second and not center field — could be on the move.

So again, this was not simply about Nimmo for Semien. It’s about what’s next.

Source link