BREAKING: The New York Mets and Texas Rangers are finalizing a trade that would send second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets and outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers, sources tell ESPN

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 23, 2025

New York Mets receive:

• 2B Marcus Semien (due $72 million over the next three)

Texas Rangers receive:

• LF Brandon Nimmo (due $102.5 million over the next five seasons)

Ceiling

New York Mets

David Stearns, president of baseball operations, declared the team needed to improve their defense. The Mets allowed the eighth-highest batting average on balls in play last season.

“We’re going to need our current group of players to play better defense,” he said earlier this month. “The brand of baseball that we played over the last two months of the season wasn’t close to good enough.”

Marcus Semien is one of the best defenders in baseball. That’s fixed. Groundouts are skyrocketing in Flushing.

The Mets true ceiling depends on 22-year-old outfielder, Carson Benge.

Carson Benge DEMOLISHES another home run for Double-A Binghamton!

He’s hit five home runs in his last six games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ty3KvXJMJA

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 3, 2025

Drafted 19th overall in 2024, if the Mets just have a younger, better, cheaper Nimmo crushing the batting cages, New York is a championship contender next season.

Texas Rangers

Brandon Nimmo had his worst season since 2021, most notably he dropped off in walk rate, down to 7.7% from 11.6% in 2024.

But Nimmo still got off his 20+ homers and 20+ doubles season. With a 114 OPS+, he would’ve been the third-best hitter for the 2025 Rangers.

Texas has a brand new lead-off hitter who is one of the best at getting on base and is slightly cheaper than Marcus Semien.

They went behind a closing West Elm and found a wonderful table set by the dumpsters.

Floor

New York Mets

You protect great hitters by setting great hitters in the lineup behind them.

You also protect great hitters by setting great hitters in front of them.

Marcus Semien’s most likely at the top of the order, before Juan Soto.

At 34 years old, Marcus Semien hit a career-low .230. Semien only hit .237 the year prior.

Semien earned a Gold Glove—unlimited range, devouring every line drive hit on either side of second base—still strong enough arm to get batters out at first.

I’ll never forget against the Yankees, he stole a Ben Rice blooper into right field with a sliding, underhand scoop.

But his 2025 was ended early with a fractured foot.

He’ll be 35 at the start of the year.

The Mets traded Brandon Nimmo for a more expensive, soon-to-be-back-up infielder.

That hot start at the beginning of the season will feel like pure adrenaline.

The Mets will still have really fun, exciting, dramatic stretches of baseball and that’s better than the minor league slop most organizations force-feed their fans. Rockies fans would kill to see Marcus Semien play for their AAA All-Stars.

Texas Rangers

That whole sprinting to first base when he gets walked thing isn’t cute when the team isn’t winning.

If the Rangers are cost-cutting, Corey Seager is probably out of there next.

Ready for a homecoming in Los Angeles and a new deferred contract, with a lump sum direct deposit coming in 2040 when money doesn’t exist anymore and we pay for groceries with social media clout.

When Spring Training begins, Rangers might look around and realize Brandon Nimmo is the best player on their team.

It’s like building a team around Geno Smith.

I love that the Rangers went for it.

Grabbing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien in 2022. Hiring Bruce Bochy and adding Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom and Aroldis Chapman.

Rewarded for their efforts with a World Series Championship in 2023.

But this was always a short-term high. Injuries piled up quick and only 2 years later, the core is breaking up.

You still get to enjoy 2023. It still counts and it was sick as hell.

Share With Others