Aug 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) is doused by teammates after hitting a walk off single against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Mets went into the summer months with baseball's best record — only to put their fans through a slow collapse and miss the postseason. The Texas Rangers were also one of baseball's more expensive disappointments.

On Sunday, the two clubs decided to help each other with a surprising one-for-one move just a few weeks ahead of the winter meetings.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mets are sending outfielder Brandon Nimmo to Texas in exchange for Gold Glove-winning second baseman Marcus Semien — an aggressive defensive-minded move from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Let's break down the early grades for the move.

Mets-Rangers trade details

METS GET: 2B Marcus Semien

RANGERS GET: OF Brandon Nimmo

Mets trade grades

Stearns' desire to acquire Semien is all about what the three-time All-Star can offer the Mets defensively. Semien is coming off a Gold Glove season, but he will be 36 years old next season with $72 million remaining on the final three years of his contract.

That's a lot to spend on a player who has seen his power numbers fall off a cliff. But again, he should offer a demonstrable boost defensively to a Mets team that gave teams extra at-bats last season.

Grade: C+

Rangers trade grades

After an 81-81 season, the Rangers are positioning themselves for a rebuild. Corey Seager could be on the move. Nathan Eovaldi is making $29 million next season coming off surgery and could also be traded. Nimmo isn't cheap by any means, but he's on a more team-friendly deal with five seasons of club control.

The Rangers will have to hope that Nimmo can continue being a productive player into the latter years of the deal, which is always a risk.

Grade: B-

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo trade grades: Who won the surprising deal?

Reporting by Andrew Joseph, For The Win / For The Win

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