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Maybe Buster Olney wasn't wrong, just early. The longtime ESPN insider had New York Mets fans scratching their heads back on November 23 with his strange reaction to the Brandon Nimmo-Marcus Semien trade.
Olney's immediate takeaway from the deal was that Francisco Lindor was now set to become Mets captain in 2026. Really, Buster? That's what was on your mind? Not the loss of a fan-favorite in Nimmo? Not even the potential value Semien brings to the Mets' table?
The trade of Brandon Nimmo clears the way for Francisco Lindor to be named captain of the Mets at some point.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 23, 2025
Marcus Semien on defense in 2025:
+7 OAA
+5 DRS
Olney's take was weird in the moment, but it's actually aged brilliantly. If Buster was pointing to the Nimmo deal as a signal of clubhouse friction, the events since have only strengthened such a take. Evidence of this friction continues to spill out, and the Mets continue to part ways with important members of their clubhouse.
Buster Olney's off-putting Brandon Nimmo post was actually an insightful observation of the Mets' clubhouse chemistry crisis
"Say what you want, but guys have egos, and they get their feelings hurt."
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 10, 2025
It wouldn't have been hard for the Mets to give Edwin Díaz a quick phone call before they signed Devin Williams, says @AJPierzynski12. pic.twitter.com/iB2VuVTshd
Since the Mets traded Nimmo and incited the controversial reaction from Olney, New York has watched two more franchise cornerstones walk away in Edwin Díaz (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles). Mets fans are understandably up in arms. They're also confused as to why president of baseball operations David Stearns is cleaning house without re-filling that house with some shiny new toys.
Moreover, the Mets' directionless offseason continues to be colored by friction involving Mets players, alluding to Olney's hunch. After Díaz signed with the Dodgers, ESPN's Jeff Passan revealed that Díaz was upset with the Mets for not keeping him in the know about the Devin Williams signing.
Passan and Olney are trustworthy sources. If they're whispering about the Mets' internal angst, should we also lend more credence to some of the less-verified reports about icy vibes between Lindor and Juan Soto in 2025? And what about Pete Alonso's reportedly rocky conversations with the Mets' brass last offseason? Did that dialogue establish the stage for Alonso's departure, a year prior to the act?
This Mets' drama is multi-faceted. We have players vs. players, players vs. the front office, and nowadays, the front office vs. the fans. Ultimately, what will lead to success for the Mets is a disintegration of all that drama, so that what's left is the Mets vs. the world. That's the kind of unity that leads to contention, and if Stearns is cleaning house right now to re-establish a road to that unity, touché. But the fans would definitely appreciate something resembling a disclaimer.