Brandon Nimmo is genuinely one of many nicest individuals you’ll ever meet, however that doesn’t imply he isn’t afraid to let you know precisely what he thinks. As a key clubhouse chief for the Mets for the higher a part of the final decade, Nimmo believes in accountability, whether or not which means holding his teammates accountable, himself and even the media.
After being traded from the Mets to the Texas Rangers this week in a stunning blockbuster, the veteran outfielder appeared to have some pointed feedback for the Mets brass. The 32-year-old didn’t maintain again when he talked about his stage of shock when David Stearns, the membership’s president of baseball operations, requested him to waive his no-trade clause final week to facilitate the acquisition of second baseman Marcus Semien.
He was clearly emotional, figuring out he was going to say goodbye to the one staff he had ever identified. However whereas grateful for the fan assist and his years with the Mets, Nimmo additionally appeared to look considerably slighted on the manner the membership approached the commerce, saying the Mets made it sound as if one of the best factor for the staff transferring ahead was for him to approve the commerce. It’s not what you wish to hear as a franchise cornerstone.
Later within the week, Nimmo made an look on MLB Community, utilizing a time period Stearns makes use of usually: “run prevention.”
The Mets cited run prevention as one of many causes for the commerce. His protection in left area has declined in latest seasons, and Semien is an elite infielder. However the best way Nimmo noticed it, run prevention isn’t all the time on the protection — it’s on the pitching workers too. With the Rangers, he sees a staff already set as much as forestall runs.
“The pitching is really the first thing that you need to have,” Nimmo mentioned. “Some guys like to call it ‘run prevention’ when you combine the pitching with the defense. What I saw was, that is already there and you’re not losing a lot of pieces of that.”
This wasn’t essentially a shot at Stearns, reasonably, this remark was primarily based on his conversations with Texas normal supervisor Chris Younger. But when Nimmo wished to take a shot at Stearns, he may make an argument that the staff was not set as much as forestall runs the best way it was constructed final season. The pitching struggles have been well-documented and the harm points quite a few, however nonetheless, Stearns didn’t precisely go large when it got here to filling out the beginning rotation final season.
However what’s accomplished is finished. Nimmo is transferring on, as are the Mets, who will subsequent see him in September throughout a collection in Arlington. It’s bittersweet for all concerned.
“There really are no words to fully express the all-encompassing love and support that I always felt from the New York Mets fan base,” Nimmo mentioned. “Regardless of the outcomes had been, they all the time appreciated the best way that I went concerning the recreation, the best way that I hustled, and the individual that I used to be. And that can by no means go away…
“It was 14 years that I spent in the Mets organization developing relationships. There are fans that I met in 2011 that I still interacted with all the way up to the end of last year. It’s something that I will definitely miss. It’s one part of my life and a chapter that is over, and that’s always sad. I will always remember the Mets fans fondly.”
