What the Mets Told Brandon Nimmo Before Trade to Rangers

Brandon Nimmo reveals how the Mets approached him before he got dealt to the Rangers early in the offseason.

Aug 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) chases a butterfly in the dugout during game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

When the New York Mets traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien earlier this offseason, little did many know that more stunning offseason departures from some franchise cornerstones would ensue.

Nimmo was just the beginning of a complete overhaul of the Mets' roster as Edwin Díaz landed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pete Alonso agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, and Jeff McNeil was dealt to the Athletics.

Nimmo was perhaps the most stunning offseason departure, especially given that he was only in the third year of an eight-year contract extension he signed in November 2022 and was the longest-tenured Met on the roster. And with Nimmo's tenure with the Rangers now underway, the outfielder is revealing what was told by both president of baseball operations David Stearns and owner Steve Cohen before getting dealt.

In an exclusive interview with Will Sammon of The Athletic, Nimmo opened up about the conversations he had with Cohen and Stearns.

With Texas, Brandon Nimmo is in his element. Part of his task is mentoring. Over the course of a long chat recently, he shared inside details of the trade from NY, the topic of leadership in the Mets’ clubhouse & the challenge in front of him with Rangers: https://t.co/nSKxwLuToT

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) February 22, 2026

The 32-year-old talked about the moment when Stearns first approached him about the Rangers, who showed real interest in him while also mentioning that Stearns was not actively shopping him. Most notably, Nimmo recalled asking Stearns, “Why am I not part of the solution?"

Nimmo was citing the Mets' underachievement last season, as the team missed the postseason despite Nimmo batting .262/.324/.436 with 25 home runs and 92 RBI (both career highs) in 155 games.

"I will always remember the Mets fans fondly."

Brandon Nimmo talks about the outpouring of support he's gotten from Mets fans since news broke of him being traded to Texas: pic.twitter.com/CsWv5LCr9A

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) November 24, 2025

While Stearns was adamant that he and the rest of New York's front office were not actively shopping Nimmo, this trade was seen as the first step in Stearns' effort to improve the Mets' defense. Nimmo had struggled defensively in left field last season, while Semien brings a Gold Glove to Flushing.

Read More: Ex-Mets GM Shreds Offseason Moves

Nimmo also spoke about the strong relationship he and Cohen had, recalling that the Mets' owner said this particular trade was difficult for him on a personal level. Cohen, however, explained to Nimmo that from a business perspective, he would support Stearns if he believed it was the right move for the team.

Despite being surprised by this trade, Nimmo shut down any speculations about whether he harbored any hard feelings towards Cohen and the Mets, telling Sammon that he still has a great relationship with him.

Even though saying goodbye to Brandon Nimmo was and may still be a tough pill to swallow for some Mets fans, a change was certainly needed for this team after falling well short of expectations last year. Nimmo is now eager to help his new team, which already has a lot of young and promising talent.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.