The Texas Rangers and New York Mets pulled off something you don’t see much anymore on Sunday – a straight-up veteran-for-veteran swap.
Brandon Nimmo is heading to Arlington while Marcus Semien goes to Queens.
It’s the kind of deal that makes you wonder what each side is really thinking. ESPN gave the Rangers a C+ grade for the move, which tells you it’s not exactly a slam dunk.
Here’s the thing – Nimmo’s the better hitter on paper right now. But Semien just won a Gold Glove, so there’s some defensive value going the other way that evens things out.
“The project in Texas is clear. It’s about not just improving the offensive production but also pursuing that goal by shifting the focus of the attack. Nimmo’s power bat is a slim upgrade on Semien and a downgrade from (Adolis) Garcia. But Nimmo is a much better hitter for average than both, and he has the best plate discipline of the trio. These are both traits the Rangers’ offense very much needed.”
That Garcia mention isn’t random – Texas non-tendered him recently, creating a hole in the outfield. They also cut ties with catcher Jonah Heim, so they’re clearly looking to shake up the entire lineup.
The contract situation gets a bit messy. Nimmo’s deal is worse going forward than Semien’s, though not for 2026 specifically.
As ESPN puts it: “The Rangers can worry about the real downside of Nimmo’s deal later. For now, they can hope that moving to a new vista for the first time will boost Nimmo’s numbers, which have settled a tier below where they were during his Mets prime.”
What makes this trade different is how quickly we’ll know who won it.
There’s no waiting around for prospects to develop or wondering about future potential. These are two established players who’ll be in Opening Day lineups looking to prove they’ve still got it. By the All-Star break, we’ll have a pretty good idea which front office made the right call.
