3 best Brandon Nimmo replacements if he leaves this offseason

New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies / Rich Schultz/GettyImages
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For the last six years, Brandon Nimmo has made a name for himself as the starting center fielder for the New York Mets. The Metropolitans’ first-round pick in 2011 has found some comfort in the leadoff spot by posting a career on-base percentage of .383 so far. 

With Nimmo being one of the few home grown players that have actually panned out well, the Mets would love nothing more than to keep the 29 year old around for a long time. However, with Jacob deGrom, Edwin Diaz, and Taijuan Walker all set to hit free agency along with Nimmo this upcoming offseason, the club might be left with no choice but to let the Wyoming native walk. 

As always when a player elects to leave a team for free agency, that club must find replacements who can perform at the same level if not better. In this upcoming offseason, the Mets certainly have some pretty good options to choose from.

1) NY Mets Brandon Nimmo replacement: Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds

The 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates were sellers at this year’s trade deadline a little less than a month ago. Sending away guys like Daniel Voegelbach and Jose Quintana has the Buccos poised for another rebuild. Bryan Reynolds was one of their better pieces that they chose to keep. With the Pirates still a few years away from sniffing contention, would they be inclined to trade their switch hitting 27 year old center fielder who is on path to reach arbitration after 2023? 

If so, what better spot for him to land than where his former teammate Daniel Vogelbach currently resides. When taking a look at the numbers, Reynolds is someone who compares very well to Brandon Nimmo. They both currently have an OPS+ of 127 while Reynolds has a higher career average and on base percentage. 

The Mets would most likely have to send multiple highly touted prospects in return to the steel city, but after boosting their farm system thanks to a great 2022 draft, it’s safe to say the Mets have room to spare if it means they’re getting a player like Bryan Reynolds.