AL playoff team showing early interest in Brandon Nimmo

The Brandon Nimmo rumors are hot and heavy early on this offseason. Meanwhile, New York Mets rumors about what the team will do with him and everyone else have been mostly quiet. The focus seems to be on retaining as many players as they can right now before exploring external options.

Nimmo makes a lot of sense to bring back. Without him, the Mets may be looking at moving Starling Marte to center field to replace him. Marte seems far better-equipped to play a corner spot than center field. Given the latest news on Nimmo, the Mets might have to add a few million to their best offer.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Seattle Mariners have expressed interest in the longtime Mets outfielder.

Mets rumors: Brandon Nimmo is a popular free agent

Mets fans know very well why Nimmo seems to be such a popular free agent. He gets on base at a spectacular rate. He hits for good power from the leadoff spot. He seems easy to get along with.

Mets rumors have indicated the team isn’t about to let him slip away and sign with the Mariners. He’s one of their biggest priorities this offseason. We should expect his agent, Scott Boras, to wait as long as it takes to get the best deal possible.

As far as location goes, the Mariners do offer Nimmo a chance to play a little closer to home in Wyoming. How much of a factor is this? Nimmo would probably never say unless he does end up signing with a team nearby.

The Mariners finally ended their playoff drought this past season which had dated back to 2001. They’re a team that can provide Nimmo with a chance to win the big one. But so can the Mets.

Seattle is a ball club with a general manager known for getting aggressive. All they’ve gotten so far under him is a single trip to the ALDS this past year where they were promptly disposed of in three games. It wasn’t the ending they had hoped for. Fortunately, they are a young team on the rise.

The Mets won’t find a better center fielder out there for them this offseason. The Mariners rumors should come as no surprise. Nimmo is the kind of player every contender should be looking at. Let’s just hope he doesn’t land on a team in the National League East.