Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Seattle Mariners have expressed formal interest in Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who is now officially a free agent.
Free agency officially opens in Major League Baseball at 5:00 p.m. ET tonight, and Nimmo will be free to speak with other teams as he considers his next move. And, per Morosi, the Mariners have already made contact with the veteran’s camp as they look to add a left-handed bat and a player that will get on base.
Nimmo certainly ticks both boxes given that he excelled as a leadoff hitter for the Mets in 2022, setting the tone for the rest of the offense on a daily basis. He hit .274/.367/.433 with a .800 OPS in 673 plate appearances, to go along with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 homers, 64 RBI and 71 walks.
Nimmo’s on-base percentage of .367 underlines his ability to put the ball in play and make things happen, and he enters free agency as one of the best outfielders available after Aaron Judge. His 5.4 fWAR tells its own story and Nimmo also displayed an ability to play above-average defense in center field, which only adds to his value.
Seattle is coming off a remarkable year where they made the playoffs for the first time in 21 years, and they boast an exciting young core led by phenom rookie Julio Rodríguez. With other young stars such as former Mets prospect Jarred Kelenic also set to make an impact, the Mariners are looking for an experienced and established bat to help the club take the next level and it appears that Nimmo certainly fits that bill.
Of course, it was reported last week that the Mets had targeted Edwin Diaz and Nimmo as their biggest priorities to re-sign this winter. Diaz was signed to a record five-year, $102 million contract on Sunday and will now remain the lynchpin of the bullpen for the foreseeable, while it remains to be seen whether Nimmo will remain in Queens going forward.
Mets general manager Billy Eppler spoke on Wednesday about keeping strong communication open with Nimmo, and it is obvious that keeping Nimmo at Citi Field should be of the utmost importance given the huge role he plays on this team, especially at the plate. However, earlier reports from Will Sammon of The Athletic state that the Mets are also keeping tabs on former outfielder Michael Conforto if they aren’t able to re-sign Nimmo.
Given that no free agent center fielder outside of Judge or Nimmo has accumulated a 2.0 fWAR over the past two seasons, it goes without saying that losing Nimmo would be a big loss for the Mets. Not only is he incredibly effective with the bat and now in the field, but he’s also a huge presence in the clubhouse and you can’t put a price on those kinds of intangibles.
