After the season ended, GM David Stearns said his primary offseason focus would be "run prevention." Well on Sunday, Stearns made the first of what is likely to be several moves meant to address that need. The Mets traded fan favorite Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for gold glover second baseman Marcus Semien. The Mets also sent $5 million to the Rangers. In order for the deal to be completed, Nimmo was required to waive his no-trade clause.
Semien batted a career-low year .230 in 2025 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 127 games. Two years ago, he batted .276 with 29 HRs and 100 RBIs in 162 games, and had 10 postseason RBIs to help the Rangers win the World Series. Obviously, the Mets are hoping he regains his '23 form. Nimmo batted .262 with 25 HRs and 92 RBIs in 155 games last season.
At first glance it appears as if Stearns is trading offense for defense, but it's far more complicated than that. It's no secret that the Mets had a problem at second base last season. Jeff McNeil, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna all took turns playing there; none stood out. Semien not only solves the problem at second, he allows Stearns to include McNeil in a package for a starting pitcher. Wouldn't Tarik Skubal look good in orange and blue? The lone concern I have about Semien is his age. At 35, his best years may be behind him.
As for Nimmo, yes he was a good hitter, and an even better teammate, but he was hardly irreplaceable. To hear some fans, you'd think Stearns had traded Ted Williams away. There are several notable free agents out there the Mets could target that would be considerably better than Nimmo, both at the plate and in the field.
Kyle Tucker is undoubtedly the biggest fish. A career .273 hitter who averages 31 home runs and 103 runs batted in, he hit .266 with 22 HRs and 73 RBIs for the Cubs last season. Reportedly he's looking for a ten-year contract around $400 million. That might too rich even for Steve Cohen's blood.
If that's the case, Cody Bellinger would make an ideal Plan B. He hit .272 with 29 HRs and 98 RBIs for the Yankees last season, playing primarily in left field. If the Mets sign him, it would be the third free agent they've pilfered from their cross-town rivals in the last two years. Juan Soto and Clay Holmes were the other two.
But while the Mets are looking at prospective free agents this offseason, they have two of their own that will be highly sought after: Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso. Ideally, Stearns would like to keep both, but that might not be possible. Between the two, Diaz has to be the priority. As bad as the starting rotation was last season, the bullpen was even worse. Diaz was the lone exception. He was 6-3 with 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA. Losing him would deal a devastating blow to whatever hopes Stearns has of putting a pennant-contending team on the field next season.
Regarding Alonso, the issue with him is not so much salary as it is term. The Polar Bear is looking for a seven-year contract and the Mets would prefer not to go beyond three years. Like Nimmo, he can be replaced if the two sides can't agree.
Bottom line, Stearns is making good on his promise to revamp a roster that severely underperformed in 2025. Nimmo was the first domino to fall.
He won't be the last.
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