1 thing NY Met fans should love about the Brandon Nimmo trade, 1 thing to hate

Jeff Passan sent shockwaves through the baseball world after breaking the news that Brandon Nimmo was traded to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien. David Stearns mentioned the possibility of shaking up the core of this New York Mets team, and it's safe to say he wasn't bluffing. In the fallout, Met fans have expressed both anger and excitement for the future, and both are justified.

One thing to love about the Brandon Nimmo trade

Brandon Nimmo had a career high in home runs in 2025, but that was really the only meaningful takeaway from last season. He had a career low on-base percentage and his defense has declined due to his bouts with plantar fasciitis. With Juan Soto and hopefully Pete Alonso eventually getting more starts at DH, Nimmo doesn't offer enough offensively to garner DH starts over them.

Coming off the worst season of Nimmo's career in 2024, his production in 2025 did not show positive signs that the remaining five years and $102.5 million on his contract would be money well spent. It was already speculated that the Mets would be in talks with Cody Bellinger, now this trade opens the floodgates for every outfielder on both the trade and free agent markets.

Everyone from top free agent Kyle Tucker to Fernando Tatis Jr. is on the table for this team to fill the open spot in the outfield. Most, if not all, of these options at the top of the market are upgrades over Brandon Nimmo and a better investment long-term.

One thing to hate about the Brandon Nimmo trade

The part of this deal that stings the most is that Brandon Nimmo had a rare opportunity to become the highly coveted 'forever Met', and yet again, a homegrown star will finish their career in another uniform in a different city.

Other than Ed Kranepool and David Wright, there has never been a premier player both start and finish their career in the orange and blue. And had he finished his career here, his number nine almost certainly would have been next to Wright's and Kranepool's atop Citi Field's rafters.

Brandon Nimmo embodied everything it means to be a New York Met. Few players have embraced their city, fans, and organization as wholeheartedly as Nimmo has since he debuted in 2016. Through all the ups and downs, issues with previous ownership, and on-field disappointments, his pride in being a New York Met never wavered.

Now, all the pressure is on David Stearns to replace what we lost in Brandon Nimmo. He took accountability for the disaster of the 2025 season and put emotions aside to make this trade. Stearns believes this is the right move for this franchise in 2026 and beyond, and for his sake, he better be right.