The New York Mets shocked baseball fans with one of the earliest offseason transactions back in November. The hopeful ballclub was banking on bringing in a reliable infielder who had a proven track record at the plate and around the diamond, but their acquisition has not been living up to expectations.
In November, the Mets entered into a deal with the Texas Rangers, ultimately shipping outfielder Brandon Nimmo to New York in exchange for infielder Marcus Semien.
Before striking a deal, it was clear that Semien was not performing at the same level as his loyal fans know him to be capable of. Despite this, the Mets made a splash, and it is starting to leave a scar on the franchise.
Trade Involving Nimmo, Semien Burns the Mets
GettyMarcus Semien of the New York Mets
New York is currently ranked at the bottom of the NL East standings, riding a 21-28 overall record, trailing the Miami Marlins at 22-28 overall.
Defense was one of the top reasons why manager Carlos Mendoza sought out Semien. As a two-time Gold Glove Award recipient, hopes were held high that he’d be able to bring the Mets back into postseason contention. While his defense is still something to be admired, his ability at the plate has suffered.
Unfortunately, the 35-year-old has not been bringing the heat that the franchise has been craving, particularly when it comes to offense.
As noted by Jim Bowden of The Athletic, this wasn’t a major surprise — Semien’s prowess started to slip away last year while playing in the Lone Star State. He wrapped up his campaign slashing .230/.305/.364 with a .669 OPS and 15 homers through 127 games.
Compared to his 2023 performance, in which he logged a .826 OPS and 29 homers, Bowden is justified in assuming that Semien is now in a declining phase. The chances of a comeback at the plate are becoming slimmer each passing week.
Hope Fades Away for Semien
GettyMarcus Semien of the New York Mets
With 14 years of Major League Baseball experience under his belt, it was only a matter of time before Semien started to fall into a slump. At 35 years old, he’s no longer in his athletic prime, and Bowden isn’t quite sold on any potential for him to bounce back on offense.
Having said that, he still brings high value to the franchise, primarily due to his veteran leadership and his defensive abilities, which seem to be hanging on this season.
Ahead of the Mets’ series finale against the Washington Nationals on May 21, Semien is slashing .225/.277/.315 with a grim .592 OPS and just three homers through his 49 game appearances — a major dip in numbers from previous years.
Of course, as the season progresses, there’s always the potential for things to take a positive turn. However, at this point, it’s looking like the Mets-Rangers trade involving Nimmo and Semien ended up burning New York.
The signs were starting to be planted last year, but perhaps the ballclub was looking through rose-colored glasses, wishing that Semien would return to the once unstoppable form when he arrived in New York.
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