The New York Mets traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in what has been a regular theme in the franchise’s history. Maybe it’s because we’ve seen so many players split from New York and head to Texas that it makes it feel more frequent than it actually is.
Jacob deGrom left in free agency to join the Rangers after the 2022 season. A few months later, Max Scherzer was traded there. That’s three significant (popularity is debatable) players to go from Queens to Arlington.
Before them, there were other popular Mets players who ended up with the Rangers later on in their careers. Only players who played for the Rangers after the Mets were considered here. Sorry, Rick Reed. We got to enjoy you after.
Do you remember each of these Mets playing for the Rangers after?
1) Rusty Staub
Rusty Staub would’ve been a nightmare for some modern statistics because of his defensive misgivings. Those who enjoyed him on the Mets in the 1970s and later when he returned in the 1980s don’t care. Incredibly popular and one of the best hitters on the team in the mid-1970s, he ended up on the Rangers for a year in 1980
2) Bud Harrelson
On the same 1980 Rangers team as Staud, we find Bud Harrelson. An early fan favorite on the Mets roster, he finished his career with Texas after two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. He shares something in common with the two notable current Rangers: they should've been lifelong Mets players.
3) Roger McDowell
Oddly, the career trajectory of Roger McDowell followed Harrelson’s a little too closely. Traded to the Phillies as well, the 1986 World Series Champion would end up with the Rangers for a season later on. Representing them in 1995, he logged an insane 85 innings as a reliever in the shortened season.
4) Bartolo Colon
They don’t get much more popular than Bartolo Colon. He truly loves the game of baseball and Mets fans could tell. His last big league season came in 2018 as a member of the Rangers. Don’t remember it? It’s probably one of the few seasons he’d like to erase from his career. He had a 5.78 ERA with them to finish his career.
