The New York Mets went a different direction this offseason, getting rid of numerous fan favorites. Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Edwin Díaz, and Brandon Nimmo are the four main players who were part of the Mets’ core over the last few seasons and departed. One of the guys the Mets acquired as part of this new direction was 2x Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien. The team decided to go the route of run prevention and, in return, decided to get a glove for a bat in which they traded Nimmo for Semien. On the Mets’ side of things, Semien has been disappointing to say the least.
Semien Has Been Disappointing in His Mets Tenure So Far
In 52 games so far this season, Semien is hitting .218 with just three homers and 18 RBIs. He also has a -0.3 WAR, along with those awful offensive stats. Of course, the team wanted him for the defense, but they were also assuming his bat would still be somewhat there. Sadly, just like the rest of the lineup, he has been non-existent. In his last three games, Semien has a slash line of .205/.242/.295. Numbers like this are just not going to help an already struggling lineup.
Semien has had some monster seasons before coming here, getting in the top three in the American League MVP race twice in the last five seasons. He has also hit 20 or more homers in four of his last five seasons. It is safe to say the Mets are not getting what they hoped for out of Semien. The decline in power, some mental mistakes, and just overall looking like an automatic out at points. It just has not worked out so far.
This Trade Does Not Look Good for the Mets
Nimmo has been solid for the Texas Rangers to start the year. In 49 games, he has six homers and 18 RBIs, with a slash line of .275/.350/.440. Nimmo also has a 1.9 WAR. He started red hot, but has cooled down since. He is still more productive for the Rangers right now than Semien has been for the Mets.
So far, the winner of the trade is the Rangers, and it looks like another failed move by Stearns. This all can change if Semien can turn it around, but the team will need him to turn it around sooner rather than later. Sadly, for the Mets, it seems as if that may not happen.
What Should the Mets Do With Semien?
Semien is expected to remain under contract until 2028. He would ultimately become a free agent in 2029. The question for the Mets is, do they look to move on from him even though they just traded for him? Given how the season is going, it is not out of the question for the team to move on from a few of these veterans. Semien is certainly not safe, especially with the way he’s been playing. However, what kind of value does Semien, 35, have, especially with a contract that sees him getting $26 million annually for the next two seasons?
It is tough to determine what the Mets will do, but if they want to get younger and move on from the vets and sell, getting rid of a guy like Semien makes sense. The team has a lot of decisions to make with the deadline coming in two plus months, and one of these decisions may just determine Semien’s future with the club.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images
