ARLINGTON — Brandon Nimmo always thought he might be like David Wright and spend his entire career with the Mets, and try to chase a World Series title in New York.
All that changed after a phone call from president of baseball operations David Stearns, who told him a deal was in place to send the 10-year outfielder to the Texas Rangers for Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien, if the Mets’ longest-tenured player was willing to waive the no-trade provision in his contract that still has five more seasons.
kAm“{:76 46?E6C65 2C@F?5 E92E H6 H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 }6H *@C< |6ED F?E:= E96 G6CJ 6?5[” D2:5 E96 ba\J62C\@=5 }:>>@[ H9@ ;FDE 46=63C2E65 9:D 52F89E6C’D 7:CDE 3:CE952J 2?5 4@>A=6E65 2 ?6H 9@>6 😕 !@CE $E] {F4:6[ u=@C:52[ H96C6 E96 |6ED 9@=5 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8 2?5 96 925 A=2??65 E@ 9@DE E62>>2E6D]k^Am
kAm}:>>@[ 2 72? 72G@C:E6 😕 }6H *@C< 7@C 9:D 4@?D:DE6?E 9FDE=6 2?5 FA362E A6CD@?2=:EJ[ 5:5 28C66 2?5 E96 562= H2D 2??@F?465 |@?52J 3J 3@E9 E62>D]k^Am
kAm“%96D6 2C6 2=H2JD E@F89 564:D:@?D] %9:D H2D ?@E 62DJ[” $E62C?D D2:5] “tG6CJ@?6 96C6 E9:?
kAmp>@?8 E9@D6 }:>>@ DA@<6 E@ H9:=6 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 >@G6 H2D y24@3 56vC@>[ 2 EH@\E:>6 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 H:??6C H:E9 E96 |6ED H9@ ;FDE 7:?:D965 9:D E9:C5 D62D@? 😕 %6I2D 2D E96 p>6C:42? {628F6 r@>6324< !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C] }:>>@ 2=D@ DA@<6 2E =6?8E9 H:E9 #2?86CD AC6D:56?E @7 32D632== @A6C2E:@?D r9C:D *@F?8[ E96 7@C>6C 3:8 =628F6 A:E496C H9@ H2D 😕 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8 H:E9 E96 |6ED H96? }:>>@ H2D 2 >:?@C =628F6C]k^Am
kAmp>@?8 E9@D6 }:>>@ DA@<6 E@ H9:=6 4@?D:56C:?8 E96 >@G6 H2D y24@3 56vC@>[ 2 EH@\E:>6 rJ *@F?8 pH2C5 H:??6C H:E9 E96 |6ED H9@ ;FDE 7:?:D965 9:D E9:C5 D62D@? 😕 %6I2D 2D E96 p>6C:42? {628F6 r@>6324< !=2J6C @7 E96 *62C] }:>>@ 2=D@ DA@<6 2E =6?8E9 H:E9 #2?86CD AC6D:56?E @7 32D632== @A6C2E:@?D r9C:D *@F?8[ E96 7@C>6C 3:8 =628F6 A:E496C H9@ H2D 😕 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8 H:E9 E96 |6ED H96? }:>>@ H2D 2 >:?@C =628F6C]k^Am
kAm“w6 😀 ;FDE 2D 4@>A6E:E:G6[ :7 ?@E >@C6 4@>A6E:E:G6[ E92? >6] p?5 D@ x 8@E E96 766=:?8 7C@> 9:> 2?5 7C@> 9:D DFAA@CE DE277 E92E E9:D H2D ?@E 2 C63F:=5] %9:D 😀 ;FDE 2 C6DECF4EFC:?8[” }:>>@ D2:5] “q@E9 D:56D 76=E =:<6 E9:D H@F=5 36 C62==J 36?67:4:2= 7@C 6249 D:56[ 2?5 E92E 3@E9 D:56D H@F=5 DE:== 36 😕 2 G6CJ 8@@5 A@D:E:@? E@ H:?[ 24EF2==J 2? 6G6? 36EE6C A@D:E:@? E@ H:? 4@>:?8 @FE @7 E9:D EC256]”k^Am
kAm}:>>@ 😀 5F6 2??F2= D2=2C:6D @7 Sa_]ad >:==:@? 6249 D62D@? E9C@F89 a_b_] w6 D:8?65 2 S`ea >:==:@?[ 6:89E\J62C 4@?EC24E E@ DE2J 😕 }6H *@C< H96? 96 H2D 2 7C66 286?E 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 27E6C E96 a_aa D62D@?] %96 =67E\92?565 9:EE6C H:== 86E 2? 255:E:@?2= S` >:==:@? 2DD:8?>6?E 3@?FD 7C@> E96 |6ED 7@C H2:G:?8 E96 ?@\EC256 AC@G:D:@?] pD A2CE @7 E96 EC256[ E96 |6ED H:== D6?5 %6I2D Sd >:==:@? 3J $6AE] `g]}6H *@C< 5C27E65 }:>>@ `bE9 @G6C2== @FE @7 9:89 D49@@= 😕 E96 D2>6 a_“ 2>2E6FC 5C27E H96? $6>:6? H2D E2<6? 😕 E96 D:IE9 C@F?5 3J E96 r9:428@ (9:E6 $@I @FE @7 4@==686] %92E H2D 2 564256 27E6C (C:89E H2D 2 7:CDE\C@F?5 A:4< 3J E96 |6ED[ H9@ E9:D DF>>6C C6E:C65 9:D }@] d ;6CD6J 2?5 AFE 9:> 😕 E96:C 92== @7 72>6 27E6C A=2J:?8 H:E9 E96> 7C@> a__c\`g]k^Am
kAm$6>:6? 92D E9C66 D62D@?D 2?5 Sfa >:==:@? C6>2:?:?8 — Sae >:==:@? D2=2C:6D 6249 @7 E96 ?6IE EH@ D62D@?D 2?5 Sa_ >:==:@? 😕 a_ag — @? E96 S`fd >:==:@?[ D6G6?\J62C 4@?EC24E 96 D:8?65 😕 s646>36C a_a`] %92E H2D 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 %6I2D[ 4@>:?8 @77 2 `_a\=@DD D62D@?[ 2=D@ 😕 7C66 286?4J 25565 (@C=5 $6C:6D |’! D9@CEDE@A r@C6J $6286C @? 2 Sbad >:==:@?[ `_\J62C 4@?EC24E]k^Am
kAm%92E 92=7\3:==:@? 5@==2C >:55=6 :?7:6=5 96=A65 E96 #2?86CD H:? E96:C @?=J (@C=5 $6C:6D E:E=6 😕 a_ab] qFE E92E 😀 E96 @?=J H:??:?8 C64@C5 E96 A2DE ?:?6 D62D@?D 7@C E96 E62> E92E E9:D J62C 7:?:D965 ]d__ Wg`\g`X 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 😕 7C2?49:D6 9:DE@CJ]k^Am