The Mets-Rangers trade could be a sign of bigger plans for New York’s outfield

With Sunday’s reported one-for-one trade coming together that would send Marcus Semien to the New York Mets and Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers, there could be greater hopes for the Mets’ outfield.

Sunday, after the trade rumors started circulating, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman said suggested the idea that the Mets’ trade with the Rangers involving Nimmo “could serve as an indicator that the Mets plan to pursue Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, both free agents, for the outfield.”

How will the Mets manage their outfield after the Rangers trade?

Tucker is considered by most MLB experts to be the top position player for teams to pursue this offseason. Coming off a season in which he posted a 143 OPS+ (100 is considered average for MLB players) while hitting 22 home runs and driving in 73 runs for the Chicago Cubs, ESPN predicted it that Tucker will earn an 11-year, $418 million deal this season.

Certainly, that price will take some MLB teams out of the race to sign the All-Star outfielder. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown he’s not afraid to spend money in recent seasons, including last year when Juan Soto landed in Queens on a 15-year contract worth $765 million.

Bellinger, meanwhile, is another high-ranking free agent target expected to draw a lot of interest and command a high average annual value. The 30-year-old Bellinger posted an OPS+ of 125 in his first season with the New York Yankees, hitting 29 home runs and providing another solid option in the lineup around American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge.

ESPN predicts Bellinger will sign a six-year deal worth $165 million this offseason.

Nimmo posted an OPS+ of 114 last season and has a career OPS+ of 124 over his 10 seasons with the Mets. At 32, both Bellinger and Tucker are younger and have posted OPS+ that are either close to Nimmo’s (Bellinger has a career OPS+ of 120 in nine seasons) or better than Nimmo’s (a career OPS+ of 140 in eight seasons).

If the Nimmo trade is the first step for the Mets to bolster their outfield with one of the top free agents in this year’s class, it’s a bold move as the franchise hopes to reshape its lineup after ending the postseason chase in 2025.