Trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers was justifiable from an on-field perspective, but that won’t make it easy for all New York Mets fans to swallow.
The trade, which became official on Monday, swapped Nimmo straight-up for second baseman Marcus Semien, who had a worse year than Nimmo offensively, but dazzled with the glove. New York exchanged a left-handed bat for a right-handed one, which should help balance the lineup, while vastly improving its defensive outlook.
However, Nimmo was also the organization’s longest-tenured player, having been drafted 13th overall by the Mets in 2011. It’s an emotional goodbye for all involved, and on Monday, Nimmo shared some of his emotions with the fan base that thought it would be cheering him on a lot longer.
On his Instagram page, Nimmo wrote a heartfelt message to Mets fans, accompanied by a slideshow of 20 pictures and videos that encapsulated his Mets tenure from beginning to end.
“There is truly no way I could adequately put into words how much my tenure with the Mets has meant to me,” Nimmo wrote. “All I can say is thank you. Thank you Mets fans for embracing and welcoming a kid from Cheyenne, Wyoming to the Big Apple.
“I always aspired to become a big leaguer — I never knew I’d have the opportunity to accomplish that dream in a city so wildly passionate about the game of baseball. The last 14 years have felt like a dream, and it has been an absolute honor to share them with you. You made me feel like family, and I hope you felt the same. I will always be grateful for our time and memories together. With love, always.”
Nimmo signed off with a pair of hearts, one blue and one orange.
In his 10 big-league seasons with the Mets, Nimmo slashed .262/.364/.438, totaling 974 hits, 135 home runs, 463 RBIs, and 26.2 wins above replacement. He never made an All-Star team, but a lot of Mets fans will argue vehemently that he was snubbed on multiple occasions.
Nimmo also had five years left on the eight-year, $162 million extension he inked with the Mets before the 2023 season, but barring another trade, he’ll play out the remainder of that deal in the Lone Star State. He had a no-trade clause, so he had to stamp his approval on the deal with the expectation that the Rangers would try to compete for championships in the next few seasons.
More MLB: Mets, Edwin DÃaz Reach ‘Sticking Point’ in Negotiations: Report