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Reds Re-Sign Carson Spiers To Minor League Deal

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The Reds announced they’ve re-signed righty Carson Spiers to a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp. Spiers will not be able to pitch in Spring Training anyhow, as he’s working back from July elbow surgery that’ll cost him most of the ’26 season.

Spiers was one of three players, along with Will Banfield and Roddery Muñoz, whom the Reds dropped from the roster at last week’s non-tender deadline. Spiers had technically been designated for assignment a few days earlier as Cincinnati created space to add three Rule 5 eligible prospects to the 40-man roster. They waited until the non-tender deadline to resolve the DFA, which meant they didn’t need to expose him to waivers. That’s a common tactic for teams to try to re-sign those players to minor league deals, keeping them in the organization without requiring a 40-man spot.

The 28-year-old Spiers has pitched in each of the past three big league seasons. He’s a depth arm who has started 14 of 29 career outings. Spiers carries a 5.69 earned run average across 117 innings. His 19.3% strikeout percentage and 9.4% swinging strike rate are each middling and he’s had a difficult time keeping the ball in the park. Most of Spiers’ big league experience came in 2024, as shoulder and elbow injuries cost him almost all of last season.

While Spiers has yet to find much in the way of MLB success, he owns a decent 4.08 ERA in almost 400 minor league innings. He has fanned nearly a quarter of opponents against an 8.9% walk rate. Spiers sits around 92 MPH with his four-seam and sinker while using three more pitches (sweeper, cutter and changeup) with regularity. He’ll remain with the organization that initially signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and attempt to pitch his way back onto the roster once he has put the elbow injury behind him.

Marlins, Kyle Stowers Recently Discussed Extension

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The Marlins and outfielder Kyle Stowers held some extension talks earlier this offseason, reports Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic, but weren’t close and the talks fell apart. She characterizes the sides as roughly $50MM apart, with Stowers and his camp targeting about $100MM while the Fish were more in the $50MM range.

Stowers, 28 in January, had a breakout season in 2025. A notable prospect with the Orioles, he hadn’t yet established himself as a big leaguer when he was flipped to Miami in the 2024 deadline deal sending Trevor Rogers to Baltimore.

Going into 2025, Stowers had 340 plate appearances spread over three seasons with a 6.2% walk rate, 33.8% strikeout rate, .208/.268/.332 line and 69 wRC+. This past season, he took a big step forward. His 27.4% strikeout rate was still high but a massive improvement over his previous work. He also pushed his walk rate to 10.5% and hit 25 home runs, leading to a .288/.368/.544 line and 149 wRC+.

He won’t be able to sustain a .356 batting average on balls in play but he’d be a strong offensive player even with a bit of regression in the luck department. He didn’t get strong defensive grades but he was around average. He missed the final six weeks of the season due to an oblique strain but FanGraphs still credited him with four wins above replacement.

Locking up that kind of player while he’s still relatively young and affordable is a sensible desire for the Marlins. Stowers has just over two years of big league service time, meaning he can still be retained for four seasons and hasn’t qualified for arbitration yet.

There has also been some recent reporting suggesting that the Marlins may be looking to increase their competitive balance tax number in 2026. Per that reporting, it’s possible that both the MLB Players Association and fellow owners take umbrage with how the Marlins have been using their revenue sharing money. With the collective bargaining agreement a year away from expiring, the club might want to put forth a better face now.

This was the situation the A’s were in last winter. They ramped up spending in an effort to avoid an MLBPA grievance. That included signing free agents like Luis Severino and José Leclerc as well as signing extensions with Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler.

The Marlins have been connected to various free agents, including Michael King and Devin Williams, but extensions are particularly good if bumping up the CBT number is the goal since a player’s CBT hit comes from the average annual value of his deal. For instance, Butler only had a $2.25MM salary in 2025 but his CBT hit was about $9.36MM since he was guaranteed $65.5MM over seven years.

From the perspective of Stowers, an extension would limit his overall earning power but he’s not on an amazing track for a huge payday. Due to his somewhat late breakout, he’s not slated to hit the open market until the winter before the 2030 season, which would be his age-32 campaign. Teams put a high value on youth these days, which won’t help Stowers. In the past decade, Freddie Freeman is the only position player free agent to get a nine-figure deal beginning at age 32 or older, as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker.

Though an extension might make sense for both sides, they still have to agree on the number, which is where things have apparently broken down. Per Ghiroli, Stowers’s camp was looking to get a deal somewhat like the Bryan Reynolds extension with the Pirates, which gave him $100MM in new money over seven years. The Marlins were apparently hoping for something more like the Red Sox’ extension with Ceddanne Rafaela, which paid him $50MM over an eight-year span. Since that deal came shortly after the 2024 season began, MLBTR characterizes it as $49.3MM in new money over seven years.

Reynolds and Rafaela are both outfielders but neither is a great comp for Stowers in terms of earning power. Rafaela had barely played in the majors and only had a handful of service days at the time of his deal. Reynolds, meanwhile, had already racked up over four years of service time. As mentioned, Stowers is just a bit over two years of service, putting him in between the two. Players generally get more earning power as they rack up service time and get closer to free agency.

For players under three years of service, there have been some massive nine-figure deals for guys like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr., though those guys were already superstars in their early 20s. Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman got $115MM and $100MM from the Astros, respectively, each beginning with his age-26 season. However, both of those guys had more major league success than Stowers does now and were a bit younger.

Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays agreed to an extension in March of 2017, when Kiermaier was still four years away from free agency. He had qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player and had already agreed to a $2.975MM salary for 2017. The deal was for six years and $53.5MM, which meant it added about $50.5MM in new money over five years, beginning with his age-28 campaign. Kiermaier had a decent floor thanks to his speed and defense but limited upside due to his tepid offense and injury-prone reputation. That deal is almost a decade old and a similar player should get more nowadays just based on inflation.

Put it all together and meeting somewhere in between $50MM and $100MM could make some sense for both parties. For now, it seems like that’s not on the table, but the two sides could resume talks later. The most common time for extensions to come together is in the spring, as teams generally focus on external additions throughout the earlier parts of the offseason.

Photo courtesy of Mady Mertens, Imagn Images

Nimmo, Stearns, Young Discuss Semien Trade

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The Mets and Rangers lined up on a surprising one-for-one swap over the weekend, with outfielder Brandon Nimmo heading to Texas and infielder Marcus Semien to Queens. Today, members of the media got to speak with many of the parties involved. Arguably, the most notable comment came from Nimmo himself, who waived his no-trade clause to become a Ranger. “I would not have waived that no-trade clause if I didn’t think I could come here and win,” Nimmo said, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News.

It has been fair to wonder about the direction of the Rangers recently, as they’ve clearly been trying to dial back their spending. They pushed their competitive balance tax a bit over the line in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, they hoped to duck under the line but may have gone over with in-season trades, such as acquiring Merrill Kelly from the Diamondbacks. Their 2025 status won’t be official until MLB releases the final calculations, likely in December, but it’s possible the Rangers will be tax payors for a third straight season.

Even if they did go over the line, it was surely by a narrow margin, so the tax bill won’t be huge. Regardless, it seems they are going to be extra motivated to pinch pennies in 2026. The club parted ways with manager Bruce Bochy at the end of the regular season. President of baseball operations Chris Young admitted that the club didn’t have a lot of financial certainty, which played a role in that separation. Esteemed pitching coach Mike Maddux also left, heading to the Angels, which prompted speculation that was financially motivated as well.

In terms of the roster construction, the Rangers were recently trying to trade outfielder Adolis García and catcher Jonah Heim, despite both players being part of the 2023 championship club. Each could have been retained via arbitration for 2026 but the Rangers clearly didn’t want to pay them at their projected prices. Ultimately, no trade came together. On Friday, the Rangers non-tendered both, along with relievers Jacob Webb and Josh Sborz.

Amid all of that, rumors have swirled that the Rangers could trade a more expensive franchise players such as Corey Seager or Semien as part of a larger step back. Now Semien has indeed been traded but the Rangers have taken on another sizable contract by getting Nimmo in return. The remaining contracts are somewhat analogous, with Nimmo making less annually, but signed for two extra years. The Rangers are therefore taking on more money overall but less per year.

It seems that Nimmo has been assured that the club is still planning to compete and isn’t doing a big teardown. That’s somewhat encouraging for fans in Texas but the club will probably still have some tight parameters to deal with. RosterResource estimates the club has a pure payroll of $169MM next year and a competitive balance tax figure of $187MM. Last year, those numbers were $224MM and $237MM.

Getting back up to those levels would give the Rangers roughly $50MM to work with but the signs are pointing to them setting a lower target. They have a number of things on the to-do list this winter. The rotation could use some shoring up. Almost the entire bullpen reached free agency, meaning there’s work to do there. Replacing Heim behind the plate and potentially Semien at second are other potential areas to target, though it’s possible the Rangers are happy with Willie MacIver as a backup to Kyle Higashioka behind the plate. It’s also possible they feel Josh Smith and/or Sebastian Walcott can take over at the keystone.

President of baseball operations Chris Young also spoke today and echoed Nimmo’s comments that the Rangers want to win. “I do think we are focused on winning moving forward,” Young said, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. “The last two years have been very difficult as we feel like we have not lived up to our expectations, and when you don’t meet expectations, you have to make tough calls, and that’s part of this.”

Young also said Nimmo will likely end up in right field, per McFarland, but there are still conversations to be had there. Nimmo has primarily been a left fielder in recent years, with Statcast ranking him as having 48th percentile arm strength. The Rangers could perhaps keep Nimmo in left while moving Wyatt Langford to right. Langford’s arm strength was slightly ahead of Nimmo in 2025, with Statcast giving him 59th percentile arm strength. However, Langford has no professional experience in right, while Nimmo has over 600 big league innings at that spot.

Turning to the other side of the trade, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns also spoke to the media today, complimenting his new second baseman. “It’s notable that this is a player that can contribute to winning baseball in a variety of different ways,” Stearns said, per Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports, “and the bat may not actually lead the way at this point in his career. We think there’s likely some bounce back in his offensive profile and his offensive game. But what we’re counting on at the top of his skillset is the contributions he can make for us defensively, how he can perform on the bases, and we think those are going to help us win games.” Stearns has highlighted a desire to improve the Mets’ run prevention, so it’s understandable he would focus on Semien’s defense.

Naturally, Stearns was asked about what’s next for the Mets. While the story in Texas might be scaled-back spending, that doesn’t appear to be a concern with the Mets. “Sure,” Stearns said, when asked if it’s possible for the Mets to re-sign Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz and a notable free agent outfielder. “I think anything would be realistic right now.”

Under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets have been one of the top-spending clubs in the majors. Per RosterResource, they had a $340MM payroll and $337MM CBT number in 2025. For 2026, those numbers are at $263MM and $264MM. That gives the Mets something like $70MM in wiggle room if they are willing to get to the same level and it’s entirely possible they could be willing to go even higher.

MLBTR predicted Díaz to secure an $82MM deal over four years. He is reportedly setting his sights higher than that, targeting a deal in the same range as his last one, which was a $102MM guarantee over five years. Either way, a deal worth roughly $20MM annually is probably likely. MLBTR predicted Alonso for $110MM over four years, which would be $27.5MM in terms of average annual value.

Put together, those two would likely eat up something near $50MM of next year’s payroll. If the Mets do have $70MM of space right now, that would leave them another $20MM to spend on an outfielder, though they also presumably want to make additions to the rotation as well. The Mets have already been connected to Cody Bellinger and the Nimmo deal opens a corner, raising immediate speculation about a run at Kyle Tucker. MLBTR predicted Bellinger for $140MM over five years and Tucker for $400MM over 11 years, respective AAVs of $28MM and $36.36MM.

There are other moving pieces at play. With Semien now at second base, it’s possible Jeff McNeil’s chances of getting traded have increased. He can play other positions, such as left or center field, but it’s possible the Mets would rather ship him out the way they did with Nimmo. Even before the Nimmo deal, McNeil’s name was in trade rumors. McNeil is owed $15.75MM next year, plus a $2MM buyout on a $15.75MM club option for 2027. There’s also a $500K assignment bonus if he’s traded. Then there’s also Kodai Senga, who is owed $14MM annually over the next two years and has been in trade rumors as well.

If the Mets can find a taker for McNeil and/or Senga, they could free up some more money for their other pursuits, or perhaps address another area of need by taking back another veteran player, like they did by grabbing Semien. Stearns also mentioned today that McNeil could also play some first base, expanding his versatility, per Mike Puma of The New York Post. McNeil has played every position on the diamond outside the battery but has just three innings of first base experience. If Alonso isn’t coming back, McNeil could be part of the solution there, alongside guys like Mark Vientos. Though it’s also possible the Mets aren’t done shaking up their roster by trading out long-time mainstays.

Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images

Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon, everyone! Offseason is officially underway and some weird/wildly unexpected things are already happening! (I don't think anyone had "Mets trade Nimmo" on their bingo card, but if you did, kudos to you)
  • We'll get going at 2pm CT, but feel free to send in your questions ahead of time!
  • Good afternoon! Let's get underway!

Texas two step

  • People are posting Texas is in a rebuild, I say no.

Steve Adams

  • No, they're not. Brandon Nimmo said publicly today (this'll be on the site soon) that he wouldn't have waived his no-trade clause to go to a rebuilding team. The Rangers expressly told him this isn't a rebuild and that they're aiming for a swift return to postseason play.

Th Big Hurt

  • If the White Sox do make one of their catchers available who's a team in need of catching and what would return be?

Steve Adams

  • Rays, Nationals, Guardians, Padres, Rangers all come to mind. If they're trading Edgar Quero or (especially) Kyle Teel, the return has to include controllable, MLB-ready starting pitching.I don't think a team is going to give up a ready-made midrotation arm for Quero, given his defensive struggles and the pedestrian output at the plate, though. And it would take a pretty impactful young pitcher for me to really consider parting with Teel.

    I'm not surprised we've seen reports on both young catchers drawing trade interest, but I lean toward it being likelier that the ChiSox just hang onto both.

AZ

  • I’ve noticed in MLBTR articles that when player acquisition is discussed, the front office executive referenced is sometimes the POBO and sometimes the GM. Does that reflect differing duties within each front office or is it more of a name recognition type reason?

Steve Adams

  • We just reference whatever title the team has given him. In most cases, the top decision-maker in a front office now is the president of baseball operations. But some teams still just have "GM" as the top spot (Yankees/Cashman, White Sox/Getz, Pirates/Cherington to name a few)
  • Also have the Red Sox, who are the only org where "chief baseball officer" is the top title. The Twins originally gave that title to Derek Falvey as well way back in 2016, but they retitled him the more conventional POBO title in conjunction with one of his recent extensions.

Redlegs

  • Andrew Abbott and Chase Petty enuf for Soderstrom?

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Yankees, Yerry Rodriguez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with right-handed reliever Yerry Rodriguez, as first indicated on the transaction log at MLB.com. It’s a two-year minor league pact, agent Kelvin Nova tells MLBTR. Rodriguez underwent Tommy John surgery back in spring training, when he was a non-roster invitee with the Pirates. He’s targeting a midseason return to the mound in 2026.

Rodriguez, a hard-throwing 28-year-old, has appeared in parts of three big league seasons between the Rangers and Blue Jays. He’s pitched only 36 1/3 innings in the majors and been tagged for 33 runs in that time (8.17 ERA). He’s been plagued by a bloated .345 average on balls in play, but a penchant for walks and home runs have been larger detriments to his big league work.

Though he hasn’t had much success in limited MLB work, Rodriguez touts a 3.56 ERA in parts of eight minor league seasons. He’s punched out 27.8% of his minor league opponents, including a 28.3% strikeout rate in parts of four Triple-A seasons. Rodriguez has walked nearly 11% of his big league opponents but just 8.8% of opponents in the minors (albeit 12% in Triple-A).

Rodriguez has averaged 96.7 mph on his heater in the big leagues, pairing the pitch with a slider that sits 84 mph and a lesser-used changeup that sits 86.3 mph. Just one-third of the batted balls against Rodriguez in the majors have been grounders, but in a much larger sample of minor league work he’s routinely posted above-average ground-ball rates (47.5% in Triple-A) and strong swinging-strike rates.

Because he’ll still be rehabbing next spring, Rodriguez won’t be in the mix to vie for an Opening Day roster spot. He could be a midseason addition to the bullpen if he avoids any setbacks and pitches well on a rehab stint. If not, he’ll be in big league camp during spring training 2027. Rodriguez is out of minor league options, so if the Yankees add him to the roster at any point, they won’t be able to send him back down without first exposing him to waivers.

Marlins Interested In Michael King

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The Marlins are among the teams that have shown interest in free-agent righty Michael King, per Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic. Miami has frequently been linked to prominent bullpen arms in the offseason’s early stages as well, and the Fish are apparently planning to spend more heavily in free agency than in recent years (although that’s a pretty low bar to clear).

Skeptics will presume that the Marlins, like the A’s last offseason, are wary of running into a grievance pertaining to their allocation of revenue-sharing funds. Optimists will look at Miami’s hot finish to the 2025 season and the steps forward from young core pieces like Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee and Edward Cabrera as the driving factor behind the ostensible spending push. In reality, some of both are likely to be true.

Rosenthal and Drellich write that the Marlins are believed to be pulling in around $70MM annually in revenue-sharing. Teams that allocate under 150% of the revenue-sharing funds they receive to the roster (in terms of CBT obligations) can draw the union’s ire and fall subject to a grievance. That’s not true in every instance. Miami’s CBT ledger in 2025 came in around $85MM, per RosterResource. The Fish are projected for about $70MM of CBT considerations right now, however.

It seems that falling shy of that 150% threshold in consecutive seasons is what truly triggers the risk of a grievance. The A’s were the only perennial payroll cellar-dweller who seemed to be subject to a potential grievance last offseason. (They responded by signing Luis Severino and Jose Leclerc and extending Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler.) None of the Pirates, Marlins or Rays seemed to face the same pressure.

However, each of Pittsburgh, Miami and Tampa Bay had been well over $100MM in CBT considerations in each of the preceding seasons. The A’s trotted out CBT numbers between $68MM and $84MM from 2022-24 before finally opening the wallet a bit to avoid that potential grievance. Rosenthal and Drellich also suggest that the Marlins may want to avoid any in-fighting with other clubs during the upcoming CBA talks, where luxury tax payors could argue that the Marlins aren’t using their funds properly. Readers are encouraged to check out the piece for full, more granular details on the matter and thoughts from other club officials and agents who weight in when chatting with The Athletic duo.

Regardless of the motivation, the fact that King is on Miami’s radar is notable. He’s a former Marlins draft pick, though that came under prior ownership and a different front office regime, so those ties are minimal at this point. King would step into a rotation that also includes the previously mentioned Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett and Ryan Weathers — with prospects Thomas White, Robby Snelling, Dax Fulton and Max Meyer (on the mend from surgery) all factoring in as possible options as well.

King, 30, has been excellent since moving from a swingman role with the Yankees — who acquired him in 2017’s Garrett Cooper swap — into the rotation late in the 2023 season. His 2025 campaign was shortened by a nerve injury in his shoulder and a knee injury late in the season, but King boasts a terrific 2.93 ERA (3.50 FIP, 3.66 SIERA) with a 27.4% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate in 53 starts since moving to a rotation role full-time.

Adding King would give Miami a playoff-caliber starter to pair with arms like Alcantara, Cabrera and Perez. He’d also make it easier for the Fish to entertain offers on young pitching, whether that be Cabrera, Weathers or some of those vaunted prospects (headlined by White). The Marlins could also give stronger consideration to dealing Alcantara if they add a veteran starter, but they’d still be selling somewhat low on him (and trading Alcantara would offset much of the payroll gains they’d obtain by signing King).

The Marlins are on the lookout for meaningful offensive upgrades, but the free agent market is generally thin on impact hitters this offseason. If the Fish instead choose to further deepen an organizational strength, they could use their stock of quality young arms to explore the trade market in search of more meaningful upgrades at the infield corners, designated hitter and/or in right field.

King rejected a $22.025MM qualifying offer from the Padres. The Marlins would pay the lightest of three penalty tiers for signing him, due to their status as a revenue-sharing recipient. Signing King would require Miami to its third-highest pick in the 2026 draft.

Legends Memorabilia – Mike Trout Signing OPEN! (Sponsored)

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This holiday season, Legends Memorabilia Collection (LMC) offers a gift lineup for the ultimate sports fan. From MLB autographs from Hall of Famers and All-Stars to iconic NFL and college football memorabilia from the biggest names in the game, this curated guide spotlights top items perfect for the holiday gift-giving season!

Right now, there is a special opportunity for MLB Trade Rumors readers. Using the discount code “TR10”, receive 10% off any purchase.

Now through December 1st, fans can send in items to be signed by Mike Trout.

How it works:

Go to ShopLegends.com and locate the Mike Trout signing page.

There will be several options for allowable products to send-in that include:

  • Send-in baseball
  • Sent in flat item (up to 16×20 in size)
  • Trading card
  • Equipment (jersey/bat/helmet, etc).
  • Game used item
  • Original artwork
  • Team signed item

Simply pick what you’ll be sending, add to cart, and pay – don’t forget to use “TR10” as a code!

After, send-in your item to the address on the website:

Legends Memorabilia Collection
ATTN: Send Ins (CUSTOMER NAME – ATHLETE NAME)
7100 Broadway, Building 6H
Denver, CO 80221

If the signing option isn’t the best fit – don’t worry! There are tons of other products available, that include other signatures from Roki Sasaki, World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Derek Jeter, & more.

Plus, plenty of Mike Trout memorabilia available on the site too if you can’t wait for send-in items!

About Legends Memorabilia:

At Legends Memorabilia Collection, their mission is to honor the legacy of the game by preserving and showcasing iconic sports memorabilia—while giving back to the legends who made it all possible. They are committed to putting money back into the pockets of the players, ensuring they share in the value of the memories they helped create. By connecting fans with authentic, player-backed collectibles, they celebrate the past, empower the present, and invest in the future of sports history.

All items come with MLB Authentication. They are one of two companies that have access to MLB authentication, so everything is authentic from the signings.

Visit ShopLegends.com often or subscribe to their email list this offseason to stay up to date on all happenings, like their Mike Trout signing that ends on December 1st. Get your send-ins done now before the Holidays!

This is a sponsored post from Legends Memorabilia.

Rangers Trade Marcus Semien To Mets For Brandon Nimmo

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Nov. 24: The two teams have formally announced the swap.

Nov. 23: In an intriguing one-for-one swap of prominent veterans, the Mets and Rangers have agreed to a trade that will send second baseman Marcus Semien to Queens in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo.  New York is also sending $5MM to help Texas offset some of the difference between the two players’ remaining salaries.

Reports emerged earlier this week that the Mets were open to moving Nimmo, though as of Thursday, trade talks reportedly hadn’t developed to the point that the Mets had approached Nimmo about waiving his contract’s no-trade clause.  Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote today that the team raised the subject of the Texas trade with Nimmo on Friday.  After a day’s consideration and a chat with Rangers ace (and his former Mets teammate) Jacob deGrom, Nimmo agreed to approve the deal.

Given the trade buzz this week, it isn’t entirely shocking to see the veteran outfielder’s time in New York come to an end.  That said, a straight-up swap for Semien is eye-opening, given how Semien is coming off a dismal year at the plate and comes with a significant future price tag in his own right.

Semien has $72MM and three seasons remaining on the seven-year, $175MM free agent deal he signed with Texas during the 2021-22 offseason.  Nimmo is owed $101.25MM through the 2030 season, as he has completed three years of the eight-year, $162MM free agent he signed to remain with the Mets in December 2022.  Since luxury tax figures are re-calculated to account for just remaining money owed in the wake of trades, Semien’s tax number is $24MM, and Nimmo has a $19.25MM figure (when factoring in the $5MM Texas is getting from New York).

The Mets are therefore taking on a slightly bigger tax hit while reducing the amount of overall dollars owed, while the Rangers are reducing their tax number but adding more overall money to their books.  That adds an interesting wrinkle for a Texas club that was expected to reduce payroll this winter, though it is worth noting that the Rangers cleared a good chunk of money off the books (a projected $21.1MM) on Friday with four non-tenders.

While the financial elements can’t be overlooked, the trade is also something of an old-school, need-for-need “baseball deal” that allows both the Mets and Rangers to address needs.  Beginning with Texas, the team was prioritizing a different offensive approach based around contact hitting and getting on base.

Nimmo’s strikeout rates have been overall middling throughout his career, though his chase and whiff rates have been consistently above average.  His walk rates had also been strong before suddenly dropping to 7.7% in 2025, in a career-low for the outfielder over a full season.  Still, Nimmo hit .262/.324/.436 with 25 homers over 652 plate appearances, translating to a 114 wRC+ over 652 plate appearances as New York’s everyday left fielder.  Public defensive metrics have also looked a lot more fondly on Nimmo’s glovework since he moved to left field from center field.

Since Adolis Garcia has now been non-tendered, Nimmo can slide into the left field position in Arlington, with Evan Carter or (probably more likely) Wyatt Langford moving into Garcia’s old spot in right field.  Second base is now opened up for Josh Smith or Ezequiel Duran in the short term, and top prospect Sebastian Walcott could also potentially find a home at the keystone depending on how long Corey Seager remains at shortstop.  The Rangers could also now explore the market for trade or free agent options at second base, with Semien no longer in the picture.

Selected 13th overall by the Mets in the 2011 draft, Nimmo has spent his entire career with the Amazins, becoming a fan favorite due to his consistent offense.  Injuries were a major hindrance for Nimmo earlier in his career and he is entering his age-32 season, but he has played in at least 151 games in each of his last four seasons.

In short, it seems like the Rangers feel more comfortable about paying Nimmo a bit of extra money over a longer term than they were paying Semien over his age 35-37 seasons.  A picture of durability throughout his career, Semien suffered a rare serious injury in 2025, as he was limited to 127 games by a Lisfranc sprain and a small fracture in his left foot.  Beyond just the health issue, Texas was perhaps more concerned about Semien’s dropoff at the plate over the last three seasons.

2023 was Semien’s last year as a premium hitter, as he hit .276/.348/.478 with 29 homers over 753 PA for the Rangers’ World Series team.  Semien delivered a 128 wRC+ that year, and his key role in Texas’ first championship will forever make him a beloved figure in Arlington.  After that dream season, however, Semien dropped to a 101 wRC+ in 2024, and then a subpar 89 wRC+ in 2025.  A .251 BABIP over the last two seasons is a partial explanation, yet the bigger culprit is a sizeable decline in power.

A change of scenery could perhaps get Semien’s bat going, even if Citi Field is known as a pitcher-friendly ballpark.  Semien does bring a right-handed hitting element to a Mets lineup that leaned left, and has now subtracted an everyday lefty swinger in Nimmo.  Beyond just Semien’s offense and his reputation as a clubhouse leader, he remains an outstanding defensive second baseman who just won his second career Gold Glove.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns stated that run prevention was a chief area of improvement for his team, so installing Semien at second base is a big defensive upgrade.  Removing a solid defender like Nimmo from left field is a hit unto itself, yet Jeff McNeil could make up some of the difference since left field now looks to be McNeil’s primary position with Semien locked into second base.  McNeil could also get part-time work in center field, or it is possible he might also end up on another roster, as rival teams have been discussing McNeil in trade talks.

It is a little surprising to see New York make such a prominent move to address second base, given how first and third base were the far more unsettled infield positions heading into the winter.  Pete Alonso’s free agency leaves first base open, and Brett Baty now looks to be staying at third base with Semien on board.  Top prospect Jett Williams is expected to make his MLB debut in 2026, and the outfield could now be Williams’ future position since Semien and Francisco Lindor have accounted for the middle infield.  Semien’s addition also brings fresh questions about how the Mets will incorporate Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio into the infield mix, or if any of these players (or Baty) could now be trade chips.

Nimmo’s departure also means that the Mets could make a larger move to address their outfield.  The club was already expected to be looking for center field help, and Juan Soto could possibly be shifted over to left field if the Mets wanted to acquire a new right fielder.  This will probably spark some inevitable Kyle Tucker speculation, but Cody Bellinger is already known to be a player on the Amazins’ radar.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report that the two teams were in the final stages of a deal involving Semien and Nimmo, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman had the additional detail about the $5MM heading to Arlington.  The Athletic’s Will Sammon reported that Nimmo has agreed to waive his no-trade clause. 

Inset pictures courtesy of Jerome Miron (Semien) and Vincent Carchicetta (Nimmo) — Imagn Images

Most Popular Choices From MLBTR’s Free Agent Prediction Contest

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Entries for MLB Trade Rumors’ annual Free Agent Prediction Contest closed on November 13, with 4,604 different readers submitting their choice of landing spot for each of the offseason’s top 50 free agents. This year, we’re going to provide another fun resource for reference purposes — which teams were the most popular choices for each of the 50 players.

As you might expect, the bigger-spending teams got a lot of attention, though 21 of the 30 teams were the top choice for at least one free agent. (The Rockies, Cardinals, Pirates, Nationals, Astros, White Sox, Guardians, Royals, and Twins were the only teams not listed as a top choice.) Of the six players who have already signed, the plurality or majority of contestants correctly identified that Josh Naylor, Raisel Iglesias, and the qualifying offer-accepting quartet of Brandon Woodruff, Trent Grisham, Shota Imanaga, and Gleyber Torres would remain with their 2025 teams.

The most popular choice of all 50 players was Bo Bichette returning to the Blue Jays, with 81.5% of contestants predicting a reunion. This narrowly edged out Kyle Schwarber (79.9%) and J.T. Realmuto (76.1%) re-signing with Philadelphia, as readers are confident that the Phillies will retain those two veteran bats, but there is far less of a consensus about the chances of Ranger Suarez (13.2%) returning to Philly. Eight percent of readers predict Ryan Helsley to the Marlins, which represented the lowest top choice of any player in the top 50.

  1. Kyle Tucker: Dodgers (39.9%), Yankees (17.8%)
  2. Bo Bichette: Blue Jays (81.5%)
  3. Dylan Cease: Red Sox (20.9%), Cubs (17%), Mets (13.9%)
  4. Munetaka Murakami: Mets (20.3%), Mariners (17.4%), Dodgers (16.7%)
  5. Alex Bregman: Red Sox (37.3%), Tigers (30.3%)
  6. Framber Valdez: Giants (18.7%), Mets (14.2%), Orioles (10.2%), Cubs (9.8%)
  7. Tatsuya Imai: Dodgers (20.2%), Mets (13.7%), Giants (12.7%), Cubs (12.6%)
  8. Cody Bellinger: Yankees (61.2%)
  9. Kyle Schwarber: Phillies (79.9%)
  10. Ranger Suarez: Blue Jays (13.2%), Cubs (12.7%), Phillies (12.3%)
  11. Pete Alonso: Mets (35.8%), Red Sox (29.6%)
  12. Josh Naylor: Mariners (72.6%)
  13. Edwin Diaz: Mets (38.1%), Dodgers (23.2%), Yankees (10.2%)
  14. Michael King: Orioles (14.5%), Padres (12.3%), Yankees (11.8%)
  15. Zac Gallen: Diamondbacks (26.3%), Giants (10.4%), Angels (8.1%)
  16. Devin Williams: Dodgers (23.3%), Mets (9%)
  17. Brandon Woodruff: Brewers (30.3%), Mets (18.4%)
  18. Trent Grisham: Yankees (25.9%), Angels (13.2%)
  19. Kazuma Okamoto: Dodgers (11.6%), Padres (10.9%), Mariners (10%), Angels (9.9%),
  20. Eugenio Suarez: Mariners (18.7%), Reds (17.5%)
  21. Robert Suarez: Dodgers (15.7%), Mets (13.7%), Blue Jays (7%)
  22. Shota Imanaga: Cubs (22.1%), Angels (11.6%)
  23. Jorge Polanco: Mariners (37.7%), Royals (7.8%)
  24. Chris Bassitt: Blue Jays (30.8%), Braves (15.7%)
  25. Merrill Kelly: Diamondbacks (38.5%), Rangers (7.3%)
  26. Brad Keller: Cubs (15.6%), Braves (12.2%), Yankees (11.6%)
  27. Lucas Giolito: Red Sox (21.1%), Orioles (9.6%)
  28. Ha-Seong Kim: Braves (45.4%)
  29. J.T. Realmuto: Phillies (76.1%)
  30. Ryan O’Hearn: Marlins (18%), Padres (8.4%)
  31. Harrison Bader: Phillies (15.6%), Royals (11.9%), Guardians (8.8%)
  32. Raisel Iglesias: Braves (24.3%)
  33. Nick Martinez: Reds (9.6%), Padres (8.7%)
  34. Luis Arraez: Rangers (12.2%), Padres (9.1%), Angels (7.4%)
  35. Zack Littell: Angels (12.9%)
  36. Ryan Helsley: Marlins (8%)
  37. Gleyber Torres: Tigers (59.4%)
  38. Justin Verlander: Tigers (29.1%), Astros (18.2%), Giants (18.2%)
  39. Cody Ponce: Brewers (11%), Cardinals (10.1%)
  40. Kyle Finnegan: Tigers (28.1%)
  41. Luke Weaver: Yankees (17.4%), Cubs (9%)
  42. Tyler Rogers: Mets (16.1%), Orioles (13.2%), Giants (13.1%)
  43. Seranthony Dominguez: Blue Jays (25%)
  44. Pete Fairbanks: Dodgers (12.9%), Cubs (9.3%)
  45. Gregory Soto: Blue Jays (14.3%)
  46. Emilio Pagan: Reds (28.8%)
  47. Tyler Mahle: Athletics (8.9%), Rangers (8.5%)
  48. Max Scherzer: Blue Jays (33.2%), Giants (14.4%), Tigers (11.9%)
  49. Victor Caratini: Rays (22.3%), Astros (11.9%)
  50. Willi Castro: Padres (10.6%)

The Opener: Mets, Rangers, Maton

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as we head into the week:

1. What’s next for the Rangers?

A surprising swap of big names on large contracts happened yesterday, as the Rangers sent second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo. From the Rangers’ perspective, the deal allows them to re-imagine their lineup and replace non-tendered corner outfielder Adolis Garcia while still staying in line with their goals to cut payroll this year. While Nimmo is on the books for five years as opposed to Semien’s three, he’ll actually cost about $4.75MM less per year for luxury tax purposes after factoring in the cash New York sent alongside Texas’ new left fielder. With a luxury tax payroll that RosterResource now projects to land around just $191MM and Josh Smith free to take over at second base, the Rangers come out of this trade with the flexibility to perhaps even make another addition to the lineup or sign some bullpen help while still cutting payroll substantially from last year. It’s unclear what exact level ownership is comfortable spending to this year.

2. Mets’ infield logjam grows bigger:

The Semien-Nimmo trade is a bit more complicated from the Mets’ end. With Nimmo headed to the Rangers, the Mets now have Juan Soto as their only locked in regular in the outfield for the 2026 season. By contrast, they’re flush with infield options after adding Semien to a group that already included Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio. Semien and Francisco Lindor figure to handle regular reps up the middle, which would leave just two spots on the infield for those four youngsters. A Pete Alonso reunion would further cut into those opportunities. Also displaced by the deal is Jeff McNeil, who could move into the outfield if necessary but was already the subject of trade rumors even before this deal.

The Mets could move any of those infielders as they look for help in the rotation or bullpen. It’s also worth noting that one of the game’s perennial top spenders now has a corner outfield vacancy and less money on the long-term books when the market’s top free agent is corner outfielder Kyle Tucker.

3. Maton signing not yet official:

The Cubs agreed to terms with right-hander Phil Maton on a two-year deal Friday night, though that signing has not yet been finalized. Maton’s deal is pending a physical, and financial specifics are not yet known. The Cubs have been reluctant to commit to relievers on multi-year deals in recent years, making the signing all the more notable. Chicago’s last multi-year free agent signing for a relief arm was the Craig Kimbrel contract all the way back in June of 2019. (They did make a strong offer to Tanner Scott last winter, though.) Is this a change in philosophy or merely a one-off? The Cubs have plenty of space on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will not be necessary when the Maton deal becomes official.

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