- Oct 16, 2026
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The New York Mets' decision to trade Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien last offseason has produced mixed results, with Semien posting a 74 OPS+ in 2026 after recording a 93 OPS+ the previous year. The infielder also rated in the fifth percentile in Outs Above Average at negative nine, a sharp decline from his 2025 Gold Glove performance with the Rangers.
The swap enabled the Mets to move Juan Soto to left field and Carson Benge to right, while A.J. Ewing received a promotion from Triple-A on May 12. Nimmo, whose contract extends through 2030, ranked in the 12th percentile in OAA during the 2026 campaign.
Semien is owed $26 million in 2027 and $20 million in 2028, carrying a $24 million annual luxury tax hit. David Stearns declined to guarantee Semien the starting second base job at the club's end-of-season news conference.
Brett Baty may factor into the equation after batting .352 with a 1.018 OPS over his final 30 games. "I think Brett showed us for the last four-to-six weeks of the season what his ceiling looks like," Stearns said. Baty finished the year with a .681 OPS across 143 games.
The Mets also added middle infield depth by acquiring a prospect from the Cubs at the trade deadline and another from the Rays.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).