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In a shocker of a trade, the Texas Rangers have dealt Marcus Semien to the New York Mets for Brandon Nimmo. There has been substantial belief the second baseman’s role with the team is not guaranteed and now we have clarity on that.
It is notable that Brandon Nimmo had a full no trade clause that he gave permission forwent in order for the trade to go through. He likely was looking for a new spot and will likely have a guaranteed starting role with a top tier spot in the lineup.
The Rangers have had a dilemma regarding Semien ever since the World Series win. The star was added alongside Corey Seager in 2022 and started off hot before putting up an average level season in 2024 and a below-average season offensively this year.
Semien’s contract and decline drastically changed his future with Rangers
Semien’s glove never fell off while in Arlington but his bat took a nose dive the last two years. Following a 2024 with a .699 OPS and a 103 OPS+ and a 2025 .669 OPS and 97 WRC+, Chris Young and company has decided enough was enough.
Semien is due $72 million that the Mets and Steve Cohen will likely fully absorb while getting rid of Nimmo who is due $102.5 million over the next five years. It is a rare one-for-one trade that aids Texas with a steady offensive bat that can play all three outfield positions.
This trade lowers the average amount of money per year owed between the two while taking on more money long term. Lowering the amount of money spent on the roster for 2026 is the priority but it seems that it will not come alongside a loss of talent.
There will likely be a couple more trades coming for the Rangers. It would be the easiest way to lower payroll while also allowing talent to come in. There is still a lot of money to be spent on the bullpen and $4 million can land a team a pretty decent one.
Nimmo brings upgrade in power, high OBP
Nimmo, who will turn 33 prior to the 2026 season, has played at least 151 games since 2022 with 20+ home runs in every season since 2023 with a high-walk rate.
Last year, the Rangers struggled to get guys on base and when they did, rarely knocked them in. Nimmo gets on base while also being more than capable of producing power but has a tendency to be aggressive at the plate at times.
There was a stretch during 2021-2023 where Nimmo was one of the more underrated players in the game. That stretch earned him an eight-year $162 million contract during the 2022 offseason.
There were rumors that Nimmo’s relationship with the Mets may have been strained recently. Adam Ottavino did a livestream on YouTube where he did not speak highly of Nimmo behind closed doors. This came seemingly out of nowhere and is likely not notable but is out there for interpretation.
He is almost exactly what the Rangers needed for their outfield having dealt with disappointing or injury-riddled seasons for everyone. The one bright spot is Sam Haggerty will return as well with Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford.
Texas will roll into 2026 with a lot of new changes looking to start the Skip Schumaker era and Young is trying to give him the best possible team while navigating a tight budget.
Losing Semien will be a lot easier knowing that Josh Smith can easily slide into second-base full time. Another option might be reuniting Luis Arraez and Schumaker in Arlington. If this is what the Rangers needed to sacrifice in order to improve the outfield, the Rangers will be just fine.
