Brandon Nimmo reflects on being traded | Hot Stove

Brandon Nimmo reflects on being traded | Hot Stove

Well, it was definitely one of the surprising trades and maybe the biggest of this hot stove season, Brandon Nimmo going from the New York Mets to the Texas ranger and brandon is good enough to join us here on hot stove. Brandon, thank you very much for the time. What was your reaction when this trade proposal was first brought to you? Because of course you did have your no trade clause. Yeah. So, um thanks for having me on, I appreciate it and harold thank you so much. Um But yeah, on Thursday night, um I got a call from David Stearns, um which isn’t too unusual. I mean, I had a good relationship with him and we would talk about ways to improve the team. And um and so he gave me a call and I took it and said, you know , hey, what’s, what’s going on? Um And um he presented to me, you know, he said, hey, there’s a chance that uh that you, we have a trade with the Rangers and it includes you. Um And I was like, oh, ok, wow, this is, you know, very surprising. Um So I kind of started to try and get a little bit more information. Um, and the conversation kind of came to. So am I the one that’s standing in the way of this because of the no trade clause? Um, and he said, yeah, if you were to approve it, it’s pretty much a done deal. We would just have to, you know , dot The, I’s cross the TS. Um, so for me, it wasn’t like, you know, I wasn’t just like, are you open to this? Like this was a done deal. Um And so we needed to really, um, you know, take into consideration what was best for our family. Um, you know, obviously the Mets would not have brought this to us if they didn’t feel like it was best for the Mets organization. Um And when they brought it to us, they basically said that the conversations started, um, were initiated by the Rangers and they felt like, um, they weren’t really entertaining them at first, but Then it got to the point where it was very, very serious and they felt like it was a really good deal for both sides. So when we got to that point, um I basically told them, hey, my daughter’s birthday is tomorrow. Uh, we already have it all planned out like I’m not going to be able to deliberate on this a lot tomorrow, but I’m gonna need to make a lot of phone calls. And so I need some time for this. Um This is obviously a huge career change, a huge life change. Um I was talking to you guys earlier, we just finished our House here in Saint Lucie that we’ve been working on for three years. Uh where the, where the Mets spring training is, it was meant to host, it was meant to have spring training get togethers. Um We would have spring training in Phoenix now. Um You know, there were a lot of logistical changes and not to mention, um, you know, there were legacy changes too where, you know, I was looking towards , um, if I stayed healthy and if I were to keep producing, um, you know, pretty much would be me and David Wright who had started and finished with the New York Mets and there was a chance of my number, you know, being up in the rafters, um at the end of the career. So, um, so this was something that I was, you know, forfeiting a legacy and, uh with the New York. Um, and we would have to really believe that the Rangers wanted to win and they wanted to win year in and year out and that this was going to be a good fit for my family. Um, along with me. Um And so we deliberated from pretty much Friday night until Sunday afternoon, um, on whether , you know, talking to different people. I had an hour, hour and a half long conversation with Chris Young um had, you know, multiple conversations with Steve Cohen with, uh David Stearns. Um, what would it look like if I didn’t waive my no trade clause? And so basically, we came to the end of the conversation on Sunday, um, and I ended up waiving the no trade clause, obviously. Uh, and we felt like that it was a better situation for all of us , everyone involved. Um, if I went ahead and, and waived the, the no trade clause , I’m curious, brandon, what, what did they say the situation would look like if you didn’t waive it, they were very honest with me. Um They, they, which I really appreciate first and foremost. Uh The Mets handled this very well. Um And they were very honest with me, that’s all I wanted. So they said we have the ability right now. We, we, we have some young prospects in uh in a corner outfield positions that we’re really high on that we think can play really above average defense. Um And there would have to be some conversations as far as, you know, maybe a little more d hing, maybe, you know, um playing a little bit less. Um But, you know, for me, that wasn’t so much of a, of a deal breaker. I just want to win. So, for me, it was, uh you know , whatever, whatever we wanted to do there. But, um they did make it apparent that, you know, like, hey, we want to get better um defensively and we feel like this is a way to do that right now. Um And so the Rangers from the other side, they just kind of were saying we love you. We want you the player that you are the person that you are, we , we need that and we want that and you are gonna be welcomed with open arms here. Like there’s a reason that we made you, you know, who we wanted to come after in this trade and we made it very apparent and I think you can see that with the trade. And um and so we just, ultimately, you know, it kind of came down to this like, you know , 5050 thing where it was like, well, we’re really, really, really wanted in one place and in another place, it’s not that we’re not wanted. It’s just they think they found a way that that works a little bit better. Um Their vision is a little different than yours. I’m, I’m looking at the rafters and, and being retired here and they’re looking at you, maybe not getting to that point in your career. I wanna ask you this about you as a player. I, you know, I’ve known you forever. I love watching you grow into a player. And one of the, one of the things we always talk about is power comes along later and that has happened in your career. So I want to ask you, when did you start seeing the power come on and had you heard that phrase? And you’re thinking, ok, maybe someday I will hit 2530 Homers. Yes, 100%. You’re, you’re exactly right. Harold. I, I remember early on in my career, um, all of my instructors, all of my roving coordinators, they all said, listen, the power will come. You’ll, you’ll figure that out. We just want you to keep working on the process. Uh Yeah, and when I was eight year old kid, I still have to fill out, you know, uh I was 100 and 75 pounds soaking wet there. Uh, you know, and now I play, you know, at around 205 to 210, you know, so that makes a big difference right there in, in, in a little bit more power. Um, but one thing that, you know , you know, harold and, and, you know, anyone who’s played the game is as you start to mature, you learn yourself better. Um, and you learn how your body works better and, and how to approach pitchers and pitches and how to think along with the game. And I think a lot of that, um is , is why you see, you know, people find their power later in their career if they, you know, kind of stay with the process because you kind of learn when you can take your chances, you know, when, when, when it’s a slugging opportunity when you just need the base hit. Um And Then you also learn yourself and your swing and you keep groove it for years and years and years and you start to figure out, ok, this is what I have to do in order to get the ball in the air and drive the ball a little bit more. And I think in 2022 is when we started to figure out like, hey , your exit vilo numbers and your, you know, barrel contact, like those are all on par for hitting more home runs. We just need you to get the ball in the air a little bit more and Then you start to work backwards from there and you say, ok, so how can we get the ball in the air a little bit more now with anything there’s give and take um in baseball, I mean, Chy and I, we used to talk about it all the time. If you’re going to get something , you got to give something else up. So you learn kind of how to do that as the season ebbs and flows. Um But that’s been a lot of the process for me is learning, you know, when, when to, you know, gamble a little bit more, when not. Um And also how your body works and how to get the ball in the air. What a great answer. I, I want to end it with this. I want to come back to the trade. You know, when I, I came up in the Mariner organization, that was my team. You know, you, you get the little soap boxes, you name it, you do everything similar to you. And Then I became a free agent and they didn’t have me come back and man, there are some tears that was painful. I’m wondering, did you have some teary eyed moments? Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, when we first, uh, were presented with the trade, I’m not lying to you. I had to go for, I had to go for a walk. Like I, you know, like I had to get away for a little bit because it was such a shock to me. It was such a, you know, I just didn’t see that. I, you know, it was, it was something that blindsided me. Um, and I kind of had to get away, um, and Then come back to it with another mindset of really trying to look at it like free agency again. Um, and it was like, ok, so, you know, which the, what, what are the cons, what are the pros, you know, and, and kind of write it down. Um, and, you know, see, ok, well , where am I really wanted? Where do I feel like I can have the most success? Where can I be a help to others? Where can I pursue a World Series, all of these things? I mean, it really 100 different questions come to your mind. But yeah, Harold, there’s, there’s no question. I mean, I intended, when I, when I signed that contract with the Mets, I intended to finish my career with them. My whole goal was to just try and bring a World Series back to the fan base. And I thought that would just be full circle if you know, started in 2011 through regime changes, through ownership change and be able to bring a World Series back to the Mets like that was the ultimate dream and, and it’s , it’s all I wanted. Um So of course, there was moments, I’m still, you know, that’s, that’s a portion of my life and a chapter of my life that is over now. Um But as far as that goes, I am excited about the new chapter and I am excited about going somewhere that I’m really wanted and, you know, they want the person, they want the player and listen, Texas still is in a great position to win. So, um I, so I am excited about that, but I am not going to you there, there were tears, there was, it was sad. Um I had to go through a lot of different emotions on um you know, being traded from a team that I thought I was going to finish my career with. Well, brandon, we uh we are excited for sharing that for, for you and your family on this new chapter of your Major League journey. Thank you for spending a little time with us, especially during the holiday week. Uh Thanks for chatting with us and we look forward to seeing you in Arizona for spring training next year. Thanks Robert. Thanks harold. I appreciate you looking forward to seeing you. Thanks brandon Nemo.

OF Brandon Nimmo joins Hot Stove to share his reaction to being traded to the Rangers after spending over a decade in the Mets organization and talk about his excitement.

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