Stearns Discusses Nimmo, Semien Trade

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns addressed the media Monday, a day after the team traded OF Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for 2B Marcus Semien.

Trading Nimmo

“He did everything right here.” Stearns began his remarks by saluting Nimmo and his service time as a New York Met. The president of baseball operations noted trade discussions surrounding Nimmo began to gain momentum at the tail end of the GM meetings in Las Vegas and picked up steam in the last week. Stearns noted the fan aspect of Nimmo’s relationship, along with the outfielder’s connection with teammates and coaches, made the decision especially challenging, but at the end of the day, it was still the right decision for the team.

Discussing 2025’s disappointing run, Stearns commented: “What we did last year wasn’t good enough, and running back the same group wasn’t the right thing to do.” He spoke earlier in his post-season mortem regarding not taking anything off the table in improving the team, and trading Nimmo fits into that equation.

Acquiring Semien

Praising Semien as an “elite defender, a winner with a winning drive and determination,” Stearns noted his mentality will fit well in the clubhouse. His right-handed bat will balance the lineup, which is something the Mets were aiming to do this offseason as well.

Stearns and the Mets spoke with Semien’s former coaches and teammates to get a better sense of the player the 2025 Gold Glove winner is. He takes his craft incredibly seriously, practices hard and holds high expectations of his teammates, which Stearns noted will fit in well with the Mets. Of note, Stearns commented that this trade was not about a change in clubhouse dynamics.

While discussing Semien’s offensive decline the past couple of seasons, Stearns noted that the 35-year-old can contribute to a win in a variety of ways. While his bay may not be the way at this point in his career, the team is counting on his stellar defense (seven OAA in 2025, 19 OAA in 2024, 16 OAA in 2023) and base running abilities (28.5 ft/s in 2024-2025). Semien’s 2025 sprint speed landed in the 84th percentile. This would have been third-best on the Mets after Luisangel Acuña (29.6 ft/s) and Tyrone Taylor (29.3 ft/s).

Next Steps

First and foremost, Stearns noted that trading Nimmo opens up possibilities and flexibility for the Mets now and in the future. The transaction particularly paves the way for the young outfielders in the organization’s farm system, namely Carson Benge, who Stearns expects to contribute to the team in 2026.

While Semien may create a further logjam at second, Stearns noted there’s a ton of positional versatility among Luisangel Acuña, Jett Williams and Ronny Mauricio. The team is confident they can play multiple positions at a high level. While it’s far too early to discuss an outfield alignment, of course, Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor remain, while McNeil might see time in the corner positions. Benge and Williams are options as well, while there’s the opportunity to acquire a free agent.

In discussing Jeff McNeil‘s role on the team, Stearns spoke with him the day the Nimmo trade news broke to discuss the direction the Mets are taking. Per Stearns, Jeff wants to be part of it, and the organization believes he can impact the roster due to his defensive versatility. He noted McNeil might even see some reps at first base, as well.

While Stearns wouldn’t comment on contract discussions with Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz, he reiterated the team would love to have them back. Payroll doesn’t seem to be a concern, and while it’s not unlimited, acquiring a closer, first baseman and high-profile outfielder could be a realistic strategy for the Mets. Stearns doesn’t know his next transaction, but believes the team will have a productive offseason.

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