By Jackson RobertsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberMajor League Baseball experienced its first true stunner of the offseason on Sunday, and the New York Mets were at the center of the chaos.
Though the trade is not yet official, both the Mets and Texas Rangers reportedly agreed in principle to a deal that sends left fielder Brandon Nimmo to Texas and second baseman Marcus Semien to New York. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Sunday that the transaction must be approved by the league because of the money involved, which is expected to be nothing more than a formality.
The Mets cutting ties with Nimmo, who was in the organization for 14 years after getting drafted 13th overall out of his tiny high school in Wyoming, certainly will shake up the clubhouse a bit. And as one insider reports, Nimmo is unlikely to be the only homegrown product shipped off.
...On Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote that he expected Mets All-Star second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil to be traded now that Semien is in town to occupy his primary position. The McNeil is headed into the final year of his contract extension and isn't quite the hitter he once was.
"The trade actually signifies two big changes, as Jeff McNeil looks like an ex-Met walking now since Semien is the new second baseman," wrote Heyman. "As The Post reported, McNeil has been on the trade block, with Mets officials hopeful they can finally make the overdue move to deal McNeil thanks to improved versatility and a contract that’s only one year from expiring (they’d presumably have to offset part of the $17.75 (million) to go but will be happy to do so)."
McNeil played 34 of his 108 games in center field this year after only making three appearances there in his previous seven seasons. That should indeed appeal to teams looking for versatile platoon types. Plus, with a 111 OPS+ this season, it was clear he still had something to offer offensively.
However, McNeil also isn't likely to contend for batting titles anymore (he won one in 2022), and as the Mets seek to make their offense less lefty-heavy, it makes sense that McNeil and Nimmo, who were vestiges of the same era of Mets baseball, would take off at the same time.
More MLB: Braves Acquire 3-Year Veteran Outfielder After Phillies Stint: Report
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