5+ hour, 51+ min ago (702+ words) Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. Credit: Jim McIsaac David Stearns opened Monday's Zoom call with a few minutes of effusive praise for Brandon Nimmo, previously known as the longest-tenured, widely admired and immensely popular leftfielder for the New York Mets. It was basically Nimmo's Flushing eulogy, a goodbye to the 2011 first-round draft pick, who famously said, upon signing his eight-year, $162 million deal, that he'd never have to take off his blue-and-orange jersey ever again. The choice was his, after all. That's the point of having no-trade protection built into a contract, and as someone who was around for most of Nimmo's days, I can confidently say he rarely,if ever,showed up for work at Citi Field without a smile. Not an easy feat when you're playing for the super-scrutinized Mets. Plenty of people have passed through that…...

6+ hour, 13+ min ago (443+ words) ARLINGTON -- Brandon Nimmo knows he could have been a lifelong Met. He knows there could have been a chance -- if he kept producing at a high level -- that his number was in the rafters at Citi Field alongside David Wright's. Nimmo owns a house in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where the Mets have their Spring Training home. He's never even known another organization. So when David Stearns asked if Nimmo would waive his no-trade clause to finalize a deal that would send him to Texas, he knew he had some thinking to do. Stearns took the possibility of a trade to Nimmo on Thursday. At the time, his no-trade clause was the only thing standing in the way of its completion. By Sunday night, he was a Texas Ranger. Before waiving his no-trade clause, Nimmo reached out to Rangers ace…...

6+ hour, 40+ min ago (884+ words) In a transaction that became official Monday, the Mets, Rangers and Brandon Nimmo all made trades. Nimmo, who owned a no-trade clause, was willing to trade what might have become Mets immortality for what he feels is a real chance at a World Series with a team that wants him and is three seasons removed from lifting the trophy. Sure, he said, he liked his odds of winning in Queens, but David Stearns had made it clear to him that Stearns felt the Mets" best chances at a title involved this Nimmo-for-Marcus Semien swap being completed. If Nimmo vetoed the trade, he essentially would be hurting the Mets" own title odds. If he accepted, he would be helping both sides. Nimmo had played 1,066 games with the Mets, ranking 11th in franchise history with another five seasons left on his contract. His…...

7+ hour, 36+ 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…...

7+ hour, 54+ min ago (818+ words) David Stearns signaled that Marcus Semien fit the Mets better than Brandon Nimmo in virtually every area: on the field and in the lineup; in the clubhouse; within his contractual situation. So after the Mets spent around $340 million last season to watch the playoffs from home, Stearns was not going to let sentiment dissuade him from a move that he felt would position the team better for now and later. "I think it's a recognition that what we did last year wasn't good enough," the Mets president of baseball operations said after off-loading the club's longest-tenured player, "and running back the exact same group wasn't the right thing to do." On Monday he formally delivered a blow to the team's longtime core, sending Nimmo and $5 million to the Rangers to acquire a defensively excellent second baseman in Semien in a…...

8+ hour, 45+ min ago (531+ words) The New York Yankees might pretend they're "comfortable" with their 2026 rotation, but nobody in the Bronx is buying it'and apparently, neither is baseball. The trade chatter surrounding Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, the two-time Cy Young winner, is right back in the headlines after a viral run-in with a Yankees fan sparked fresh speculation. The incident came when a Yankees fan approached Skubal for an autograph on a navy blue Yankees cap. Instead of smiling for the camera and playing along, Skubal delivered the kind of blunt rejection that spreads across Instagram in seconds: "That's not my hat," he said, pushing the cap away before adding, "Get out of here." Cold. Direct. And exactly the type of response that sends Yankees fans spiraling into conspiracy-mode. To Detroit fans, it was loyalty. To Yankees fans, it was denial that sounded just…...

9+ hour, 34+ min ago (484+ words) On the heels of a stunning Brandon Nimmo trade that netted Marcus Semien and sure looked like the first domino of many, David Stearns said he does not know what the Mets will do next, said "anything would be realistic right now" regarding the club's offseason spending plan and reiterated that he is interested in retaining Pete Alonso and Edwin D'az. More concretely, the Mets president of baseball operations offered ways in which Jeff McNeil " the most affected by the swap " along with Luisangel Acu'a, Ronny Mauricio and plenty of the prospects trying to break into the majors still can find their way back to Queens next season with roles on the team. McNeil has played 584 games at second base since debuting in 2018, and while he has played all over the field, he has been most often seen at the…...

9+ hour, 38+ min ago (77+ words) If this trade is actually on the table for the New York Yankees, they should complete the deal immediately. Yahoo Sports Daily hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz react to Paul Skenes winning the 2025 NL Cy Young and recent rumors that Pittsburgh Pirates could trade him this offseason. Watch the full episode of Yahoo Sports Daily on If this trade is actually on the table for the New York Yankees, they should complete the deal immediately....

9+ hour, 46+ min ago (315+ words) David Stearns understands his ultimate goal of bringing a World Series crown back to the Mets franchise has to come with difficult decisions. On Sunday night, the Mets sent a jolt through their fan base when they agreed to trade Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured member of the team, to the Rangers in exchange for three-time All-Star Marcus Semien. The deal, which the Mets president of baseball operations said began to gain steam at the general manager's meetings in Las Vegas last week, is the first in a potential series of changes that could give the club a vastly different look heading into the 2026 season. "This was not easy," Stearns said in a video conference on Monday afternoon. "Everyone here thinks very highly of Brandon, but in order to create the type of sustainable, championship-caliber play that we want to have…...

9+ hour, 47+ min ago (597+ words) Proud sponsor of Greater Oyster Bay. Let's Connect at ConnectOneBank.com. When Brandon Nimmo's move to the Texas Rangers became official late Sunday, it not only ended his long tenure with the Mets, but it probably brought a close to his short time as a Long Islander. Nimmo, who signed an eight-year, $162 million deal ahead of the 2023 season, dropped $5 million an Old Westbury estate shortly after securing that contract. The property " featured in a 2023 Greater Long Island piece " offered the space, privacy and amenities that suited a player and family man settling into what at the time looked like a long future in New York. There's been no indication of any change with the five-bedroom ranch-style home that sits near the Old Westbury Golf & Country Club; it's not on the market. For now, it simply reenters the conversation as Mets…...