It’s only been a few days since former Mets reliever Adam Ottavino let it slip that Brandon Nimmo wasn’t thrilled about all the talk of Francisco Lindor becoming team captain. Now, considering Nimmo is one of the longest-tenured Mets, it’s easy to see why he might’ve thought he deserved the title.

But almost immediately after that story surfaced, the Mets dropped their biggest move of the offseason. And maybe the biggest move in all of MLB, which is all set to put team president David Stearns in the spotlight for a long time. And MLB insider Jeff Passan is the first to break the news!

“The New York Mets and Texas Rangers are finalizing a trade that would send second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets and outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers, sources tell ESPN,” Passan shared.

Yes, you heard that right! Nimmo is moving away from the Mets.

Well, both the Mets and Rangers entered 2025 full of optimism, only to watch their seasons fall flat. And now, as the year wraps up, the two clubs have crossed paths again. But this time, with a move big enough to shake New York’s fan base. The Mets are landing second baseman Marcus Semien, while Brandon Nimmo is headed to the Rangers.

So, for Stearns, the appeal of Semien is clear: defense. Notably, he’s coming off a Gold Glove season, even if he’ll be 36 next year with $72 million still owed over the final three years of his deal. The Rangers, meanwhile, get a steady veteran presence to help guide their young outfield after a perfectly average 81–81 finish.

But the real question lingering over all of this: how did the Mets part with Nimmo so easily?

If you look strictly at their 2025 numbers, Nimmo outperformed Semien across the board… hits, average, slugging, OPS, homers, you name it. Yes, Semien brings elite defense, but was bolstering the glove work really enough for New York to move on from one of their most productive players? Especially with Ottavino’s recent comments still buzzing around the team?

Defense is the Mets’ top priority this offseason

Mets president David Stearns has already made it clear that run prevention is the team’s top priority going into next season. “Run prevention is where we fell short this year,” he said. “It’s where we need to get better.”

And the numbers back him up too… For the unversed, the Mets were a below-average defensive team in 2025. Why? Because three elite players — Soto, Alonso, and Nimmo all posted negative OAA this year. So much so that by the end of the season, manager Carlos Mendoza was constantly forced to choose between lineups built for offense or for defense!

So, upgrading from Alonso to a stronger defensive first baseman would be one solution, but that would probably mean sacrificing some offense. And with Alonso still in free agency, that scenario might actually play out.

Now, with Nimmo on the move, the Mets have taken another step in that direction. So, based on Stearns’ earlier comments, the front office seems to be following through on its plan. But again… Ottavino’s remarks are still hanging over everything, leaving plenty of room for speculation.