This team is the biggest threat to sign Brandon Nimmo away

The New York Mets are facing a pivotal offseason. Numerous players who were integral to the team’s success in 2022 have hit free agency. As expected, many of these key players have numerous suitors actively pursuing them along with the Mets. One of those players is Mets center fielder Brandon Nimo, who is hitting free agency for the first time in his career.

As a left-handed bat, Nimmo is already valuable enough, but what makes Nimmo’s impact even greater is that he plays at a premium position where there are not many quality options. Although Nimmo did not start out as a center fielder, he has grown into the position, making marginal improvements defensively over the past couple years. Nimmo’s work has paid off: in 2022, he graded out as an average outfielder at worst, which would be acceptable to most teams, given his above-average production at the plate in terms of getting on base.

Any team who needs a left-handed bat and another outfielder could surely benefit from Nimmo’s presence. As a result of Nimmo’s unique skill set, several teams are interested in Nimmo, which include the San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays. However, these four teams have other needs to fill on their rosters, which makes them less likely alternatives for Nimmo.

The Mets will have stiff competition for Brandon Nimmo this offseason

The team that is most likely to steal Nimmo away from the Mets is north of the border. The Toronto Blue Jays are a team constructed to win now and have a clear need for a center fielder. Although George Springer has played the position for the Blue Jays the past couple seasons, he is coming off of an injury in the postseason, and is now on the wrong side of thirty. It would be in the Blue Jay’s best interest to shift him to a corner outfield spot and insert someone with less mileage on his legs.

Nimmo is represented by agent Scott Boras, who is notorious for getting his clients massive contracts above what they are truly worth. Although the Mets are presumably in a position to win any bidding war, the team also has to be cognizant of the fact that they have numerous holes to fill in their roster. The Mets need several starting pitchers and also need to replenish their near-empty bullpen. The Blue Jays, on the other hand, currently have a decent pitching staff, but they also still have a need for at least another outfielder, especially after they traded outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to the Seattle Mariners earlier in the offseason.

As a result, the Blue Jays may be willing to engage the Mets in a bidding war for Nimmo, because they have less holes on their roster to fill. Meanwhile, the Mets will need to evaluate how much they value Nimmo and how high they are willing to bid for him. If the team fails to sign Nimmo, they could move Starling Marte to center field to fill the void. That being said, Nimmo offers a specific skill set that Marte doesn’t have, so the Mets would notice his absence if they decide he is not worth the price tag that other teams value him at.