11+ hour, 26+ min ago (744+ words) Long after the crowds had dispersed and the lights had gone out at Citi Field, Brandon Nimmo always remained, signing autographs in his idling car for anyone who asked. For a decade, this was a regular occurrence. Fans could count on Nimmo to sign hats, shirts, baseball cards and other items, as much as they could count on him to reach first base " always getting there with a full-out sprint, never a trot, even when drawing a walk. A kid from Cheyenne, Wyoming, he knew that for many, meeting a professional athlete could inspire a lifetime of fandom. Come this season, fans will have to go all the way to Arlington, Texas, to find Nimmo. In a stunning Sunday night move, the Mets traded the outfielder to the Texas Rangers for veteran second baseman Marcus Semien. "These are always tough…...

23+ hour, 14+ min ago (984+ words) The last time Hal Steinbrenner held a press conference, he primarily focused on his decision to trim the Yankees" long-standing ban on facial hair, which his father, George, implemented in the 1970s. On Monday, however, Steinbrenner was repeatedly asked about potentially shaving his team"s payroll as he spoke to reporters in a group setting for the first time since February. The owner addressed several other topics, including his team"s shortcomings in 2025, but finances dominated the conversation. Most notably, Steinbrenner said "of course" it would be "ideal" to lower payroll after stating the Yankees ended up at $319 million for the 2025 season. That doesn"t make such a goal likely, though. "Does that mean that"s going to happen? Of course not," Steinbrenner continued after declining to announce a target budget. "We want to field a team we know could win…...

1+ day, 20+ hour ago (412+ words) When Brandon Nimmo signed a free agent contract to return to the Mets for eight years and $162 million in 2022, the veteran outfielder was excited about the idea of playing the rest of his career with the team that took a chance on a kid from Wyoming. But the Mets core is no more. The Mets and Texas Rangers have agreed to a trade that would send Nimmo to Arlington in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien, a source confirmed to the Daily News. ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report the trade. It's not clear if any money is being'exchanged or retained. Semien, a second baseman, is owed $72 million over the next three years while Nimmo has five years and $102.5 million left on his contract. Nimmo, 32, had no-trade protection he had to approve in order to facilitate the trade....

2+ day, 16+ hour ago (674+ words) Cashman isn't under the same pressure that his counterpart with the Mets, David Stearns, is under this offseason. Because despite the fact that Stearns' owner, Steve Cohen, recruited Stearns out of Milwaukee as if recruiting the guy who invented baseball, Stearns doesn't have a job for life at Citi Field. And very little capital with his own fans these days. The other night Cashman once again participated in Covenant House's Sleep Out at the Javits Center, something that is always a worthy and honorable cause for him. Before he did, he once again sounded like Sweet Dreams Cashman in assessing where the Yankees are entering another offseason, after another season of not being quite good enough. "I think we're in a good spot," Cashman said. "The job right now is to find out what's available, and those all have different…...

3+ day, 13+ hour ago (840+ words) With every passing baseball season, Mark Vientos feels more at home in New York. It's why he was happy to help the Amazin' Mets Foundation hand out turkeys, boxes of stuffing and other Thanksgiving items to members of the community Friday, going from the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation in Washington Heights, to Queensborough Community College in Bayside. "Giving back to the community and helping people enjoy Thanksgiving, that's what it's all about," Vientos said. Vientos, who will be 26 next month, would like to stay in New York with the team that drafted him in 2017, but he knows that could be out of his control. For years, his name has been attached to trade rumors, and this winter is no different. He's not paying attention to any of them at the moment, choosing to focus on what he has control over…...

3+ day, 22+ hour ago (433+ words) Just a few days removed from Trent Grisham's acceptance of the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, Brian Cashman insisted that the Yankees still have the financial resources needed to fill out their roster this offseason. "Yes," Cashman said Thursday night in New York City when asked about the subject. "I think we're in a good spot," Cashman said. "The job right now is to find out what's available, and those all have different price points." The second-highest threshold for competitive balance tax penalties is $284 million next season, while the highest threshold is $304 million. Meanwhile, Hal Steinbrenner, expected to speak with reporters next week, has called $300 million payrolls "unsustainable" despite exceeding that figure in each of the last two seasons. However, with the Yankees still prioritizing a reunion with Cody Bellinger " Cashman wasn't shy about that on Thursday " and standing to benefit…...

4+ day, 4+ hour ago (536+ words) As Brian Cashman spoke at the Javits Center on Thursday night, he said he recently chatted with a few high-profile agents about several star players available on the open market. Among them were Scott Boras, who represents Cody Bellinger and Tatsuya Imai, among other clients. Cashman has not been shy about his desire to re-sign Bellinger after a big year with the Yankees " that remained the case Thursday " but the general manager also made it known that he asked about the Japanese ace. "I talked to Boras about Imai" said Cashman, referring to a Wednesday conversation while participating in the annual Covenant House Sleep Out, which raises awareness of young people facing homelessness. It's important to remember that teams are still doing due diligence at this point in the offseason, and Cashman would not tip his hand when asked if…...

4+ day, 4+ hour ago (374+ words) Melville, L.I.: Kudos to Voicer Stephen Louro for his insightful commentary on the state of New York football during another abysmal year in which both teams are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs before Veterans Day. N.Y. football fans need something to talk about around the family dinner table and office parties during the holidays. And since competitive football is clearly off the table, can we at least talk about the possibility of O.J. Anderson getting elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is clearly the most egregious HOF snub in NFL history? In light of putting another "soft as f--k" product on the field, is it too much to ask of Giants management to help correct this historical wrong and give us fans a look back at what real "smash-mouth" football looked like? Matt Lulley Brooklyn: The young woman who mowed…...

5+ day, 14+ hour ago (405+ words) MLB viewership is about to look very different. After months of speculation, MLB reached three-year TV/media rights deals with ESPN, NBC and Netflix that will change the way audiences consume America's pastime. Starting next season, "Sunday Night Baseball" will air on NBC instead of ESPN, which had carried the prime-time broadcast since 1990. That's part of a larger commitment for NBCUniversal, which is also set to air the Wild Card Series and the "Sunday Leadoff" package of day games on NBC and Peacock. It will be the first time in more than two decades that NBC airs MLB games on a regular basis. Netflix landed a rights package that includes the Home Run Derby, the 2026 Field of Dreams Game, the World Baseball Classic in Japan, and an Opening Night exclusive. The Home Run Derby and the Wild Card Series had…...

5+ day, 15+ hour ago (401+ words) Randy Jones, who won a Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres before finishing his career with the Mets, died Tuesday at age 75. His death was announced Wednesday by the Padres, who remembered the former left-hander as "a giant in our lives and our franchise history." "His impact and popularity only grew in his post-playing career, becoming a tremendous ambassador for the team and a true fan favorite," the Padres said in a statement. "Crossing paths with RJ and talking baseball or life was a joy for everyone fortunate enough to spend time with him. Randy was committed to San Diego, the Padres, and his family." A cause of death was not released for Jones, who went 100-123 with a 3.42 ERA over 10 MLB seasons from 1973-82. Jones spent the first eight of those seasons with the Padres, during which he delivered…...