New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns wanted to make the roster over. He decided to jettison players who composed the core of the team. Brandon Nimmo, who played a decade in New York, discussed what led the team to send him to the Texas Rangers.
“I believe it was probably just a baseball decision. Like I said last year, and even in these interviews in the spring, I really didn’t see anything wrong with the chemistry between the guys,” Nimmo said. “And if it was happening, I didn’t know about it, so they were keeping it hush-hush, which is kind of tough to do in a clubhouse where you spend most of the day with each other.”
Nimmo waived his 10-and-5 rights to leave Queens. People seem to forget that crucial point. Yet he doesn’t hold any grudge over his departure and puts the trade into perspective.
“But from my standpoint, I think it was a baseball decision, and I think it was something that David felt would better the New York Mets and general manager Chris Young felt would better the Texas Rangers.”
GettyTexas Rangers OF Brandon Nimmo
The Lone Star Rebirth
From early returns, the former Mets outfielder looks comfortable with Texas. In 33 games, Nimmo currently hits .300 with four home runs and 12 runs batted in. While that stat line may not grab attention, he’s only struck out 29 times.
Quite the departure for a player who struck out at least 116 times in his last four seasons with the Mets. On top of that, GIS, Nimmo’s 374 on-base percentage is the highest since 2021. While the Rangers also claim a sub-.500 record at 16-19, they are in second place in the American League West.
The metrics at Baseball Savant tell a different story for the 33-year-old. First, the outfielder finds the ball now with more barrels than he ever has. So far, 9.8% of his batted balls find the part of the bat most conducive to hitting better. The MLB average sits at 7.6%. In essence, Nimmo is hitting the ball better than he has in years. Next, the breaking ball, once a nemesis that confounded Nimmo, is a pitch that he hits to a .300 average.
Brandon Nimmo raises his numbers to a .325 average and .960 OPS with a leadoff homer in Seattle! pic.twitter.com/ATuzy8C0Z9
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 18, 2026
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The Trade Did Not Help the Mets
Marcus Semien, whom the Mets acquired in the deal, sits mired in the worst start of his 14-year career. With a slashline of .259/.272/.531. In his last 10 games, Semien recorded just five hits in his last 37 at-bats. Worse, Semien does not have an extra base hit during that stretch, along with eight strikeouts. To this point, the Rangers have won this trade.
GettyNY Mets second baseman Marcus Semien during a May 2, 2026 game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Nimmo Still Hopes for Former Team
Nimmo, despite the trade from the only franchise he’s known, still maintains positive hope for the Mets.
“I want them to do well,” Nimmo said. “I’ve played here before when things aren’t going well, and it’s not fun. I wish the best for them, but also I’m trying to take care of things here and make sure we’re trying to play good baseball here.”
“I would like to be remembered for the effort I gave, for playing the game hard, having fun out there… I tried to leave it all out there for them”@mmargaux8 asks Brandon Nimmo how he’d like to be remembered as a Met: pic.twitter.com/rcLoWbkBIf
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 5, 2026
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The Mets made their choices. Now, standing with a last-place team, can they make better “business decisions”?
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