The New York Mets have acquired Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien from the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo and a sum of cash. Nimmo, who has spent the past decade with the Mets, agreed to waive his no-trade clause as part of the deal. He is set to receive an annual salary of $20.25 million until 2030, along with a $1 million bonus for waiving the clause. The Mets will also send $5 million to the Rangers by September 18.
Semien, previously with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, has three years and $72 million left on his seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers. This trade follows the Rangers’ signing of Corey Seager to a 10-year, $325 million contract during the same free agency period, leading to the team’s World Series victory in 2023. However, the Rangers have struggled since then, with just one winning season in the past nine years, finishing at .500 in the most recent season.
In addition to Semien, other key players from the championship-winning team, including Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim, and Josh Sborz, became free agents as the Rangers did not offer them contracts for the upcoming season. Semien, a two-time Gold Glove winner, missed the latter part of the season due to injury but has been a consistent performer for the Rangers, with a batting average of .230 and 15 home runs in the latest season.
Nimmo, a former first-round draft pick for the Mets, has a career on-base percentage of .364 and has excelled as a leadoff hitter, scoring over 80 runs in each of the last three seasons. His versatility as a batter was evident this season, where he hit .262, matching his career average, with 25 home runs and 92 RBI in 155 games.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies have appointed Warren Schaeffer as their full-time manager, following his interim role after the departure of Bud Black. Schaeffer, who has been with the Rockies organization for over a decade, takes over a team that finished last in the NL West with a record of 43-119. Rockies’ President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, expressed confidence in Schaeffer’s ability to lead the team based on his relationships with the players and understanding of the franchise’s culture.