Marcus Semien, the Mets' new second baseman, swings during a game in Arlington, Texas, in 2025. Getty Images

The Mets acquired Marcus Semien because his megadeal expires two years sooner than Brandon Nimmo’s; because their defense was poor last season, and adding a Gold Glove second baseman while subtracting a left fielder with declining speed should help; because it frees up an outfield spot for next season and beyond within an organization that has the means to buy an expensive left fielder or the capacity to turn to an interesting prospect in the farm system; because last season’s clubhouse mix did not produce results.

There are more reasons — we tried to cobble them together here — why the Mets gave up a beloved leader in exchange for a 35-year-old whose bottom-line stats have not

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