The New York Mets traded away long-time outfielder Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien in a one-for-one deal that should heat the hot stove.
The Mets looked to improve their infield defense by trading for a plus glove like Semien, though it was pretty surprising that a fan-favorite and core locker room piece like Nimmo left.
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The deal shows they are focusing on their fielding across their lineup, and Nimmo was one of the more average left fielders in terms of defense. He ended up at the 47th percentile in field run value, according to Baseball Savant.
New York has the right field spot locked down for the next decade with Juan Soto, but they currently only have Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor as their options in the other two places.
It is fair to assume they will sign a couple of outfielders, and according to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand, they could end up signing one of the top two in this year’s free agent class.
“Trading Nimmo certainly creates a vacancy in the Mets’ outfield, and given that the widespread belief was that they were already planning on making a push for Tucker and/or Bellinger, this deal makes it all but certain that they will try to sign one of those two outfielders,” Feinsand wrote.
“For Tucker and Bellinger, having the big-budget Mets involved in any potential bidding war has to be viewed as a positive.”
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Either Tucker or Bellinger would be a significant boost and help make up for Soto’s lackluster range, while allowing the line-up to gain some much-needed depth.
Tucker is going to want the bigger deal with more years and a higher average annual value, but he is a better player, younger, and far more consistent than Bellinger.
What Bellinger does offer is better positional flexibility — Tucker is notably more comfortable in the corner spots. At the same time, the former Los Angeles Dodger primarily plays center field, the position where fielding and overage matter most.
Regardless of who they sign, the Mets should end up with a better defense next season and a deeper lineup.
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