The first big domino of the New York Mets’ offseason dropped on Sunday night when David Stearns traded the club’s longest-tenured player, Brandon Nimmo, to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien.
It’s a one-for-one swap, which gets the Mets out of the final five years and $102 million of Nimmo’s deal, though Semien is still due $72 million over the next three years.
Semien, however, is a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman who is expected to still have a decent enough bat (think 20-plus home runs, 75-plus RBI) to bolster the position. Stearns has pounded on the drum of run prevention this offseason, and sending the defensive-declining Nimmo out of town jives with that.
Now what?
Jeff McNeil has become expendable, and paying a super-utility guy $15.7 million in 2026 is poor business. His name has already appeared in trade rumors over the last week, and his hot stove will only strengthen now.
But he is not the only infielder on the block. Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, and even Ronny Mauricio are reportedly available, as a complete re-tool around the core pieces of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto is now in motion.
That glut of infielders, along with a deep farm system, is going to be utilized this winter as Stearns is expected to be heavily involved in the trade market. High-end pitchers can be had, whether that be two-time-defending AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, or even former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins.
The dealing of Nimmo does create another to-do on Stearns’ lengthy list of tasks this offseason.
Now, a viable talent at a premium position like left field is needed, along with rebuilding both the starting rotation and bullpen, addressing the uncertainty in center field, determining who will start at third base on Opening Day, and potentially retaining both Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.
The trade does provide Stearns with a bit more flexibility. He can now go all-out in free agency for either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, though the former provides the sort of versatility that Stearns covets, thanks to the ability to play all three outfield positions and first base.
It completely re-shapes the market, as the Mets were believed to be on the periphery of both players’ markets. While fans might lament the loss of a homegrown talent like Nimmo, the complaints might subside if the Opening Day outfield features either of those two big free agents, top prospect Carson Benge in center, and Soto in right.
