Mets Hoping To Retain Brandon Nimmo

The Mets’ roster is dealing with a superb little bit of potential turnover this winter, with Jacob deGrom, Edwin Diaz, Chris Bassitt, Brandon Nimmo, Taijuan Walker, Seth Lugo and Trevor May among the many many names capable of attain free company. DeGrom has an opt-out he’s stated he plans to train even after lacking time as a result of damage. Bassitt has a mutual possibility, that are very hardly ever exercised by each events. Walker has a participant possibility he ought to be capable of simply surpass on the open market.

The 29-year-old Nimmo (30 subsequent March) is a pure free agent at season’s finish, however he tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that the Mets knowledgeable him as not too long ago because the All-Star break that they’re hopeful of retaining him past the present season. There’s no indication the 2 have engaged in significant extension talks, however groups have a five-day unique negotiating window with their very own free brokers following the conclusion of the World Collection. Failing to achieve a brand new deal in that window — or sooner, as nothing’s technically stopping the 2 sides from talking now — will immediate the group to decide on a possible qualifying provide for Nimmo.

Nimmo is a considerably under-the-radar QO candidate, even with the hefty worth level someplace within the $18-19MM vary. He’s been a discount enjoying on a $7MM wage this season, hitting .269/.355/.421 with 10 homers, 21 doubles, 5 triples and wherever from common to plus defensive marks in middle area (-1 DRS, 2.7 Final Zone Ranking, 5 Outs Above Common). Opinions on the general high quality of his glovework could fluctuate, however Nimmo has on the very least made himself right into a satisfactory defender who’s nowhere close to the legal responsibility in middle area he was just some years in the past.

On a charge foundation, Nimmo has quietly been one of many league’s most-productive offensive gamers over the previous a number of years. Relationship again to 2018, he’s a .267/.387/.448 hitter in 1861 plate appearances. Out of 295 certified hitters in that point, he’s tied with Mookie Betts and Alex Bregman for the sixth-best on-base proportion in baseball, and he has the sport’s Fifteenth-highest stroll charge (13.7%). Nimmo’s model of OBP-driven worth on the plate could not maintain the identical attraction to followers as that of a prototypical .290-.310 hitter or 30-homer slugger, nevertheless it’s one which MLB entrance places of work have confirmed to worth nonetheless — notably in middle area, a premium place on the defensive spectrum (see: Dexter Fowler, Lorenzo Cain). By measure of wRC+, Nimmo has been 36% higher than league common on the plate since 2018.

The elephant within the room, in fact, is the need of specifying “on a charge foundation.” Nimmo is an excellent and even nice offensive contributor when he’s been on the sector … however well being points have hampered him immensely all through the years. In his Main League profession, Nimmo has been on the injured checklist for a hamstring pressure, {a partially} collapsed lung, a finger contusion, a neck damage (which stored him out greater than three months), a bone bruise in his hand and one other hamstring pressure. Even previous to his MLB days, Nimmo suffered a torn ACL (enjoying highschool soccer), a pressure in his different ACL (within the minors) and a torn tendon in his left foot. It’s a lengthy checklist of accidents. Since 2018, he’s performed in 69.7% of doable video games with the Mets.

Notably, Nimmo has been wholesome for the majority of the 2022 season. He spent 4 days on the Covid-related injured checklist earlier this season however has in any other case been a mainstay within the lineup and in middle area. His stroll charge is “down” to 9.1% (nonetheless above the league common), however he’s additionally putting out in a career-low 16.7% of his plate appearances.

When taking a look at a participant’s free company, age and market context additionally matter tremendously. Nimmo will flip 30 on March 27 subsequent 12 months, which makes him on the youthful finish what’s typical free of charge brokers. He’s additionally one among only a few on a regular basis middle area choices on the 2022-23 free agent market. Fellow free agent Kevin Kiermaier has a fair longer checklist of damage troubles, with a number of surgical procedures on his observe report — together with a current season-ending hip surgical procedure from which he’s presently rehabbing. Enrique Hernandez might arguably be included as a real middle area possibility, however he’s about to show 31 and has hit .209/.273/.340 — his third properly below-average offensive season prior to now 4 years — in a 12 months that has additionally seen him miss greater than two months with a strained hip flexor.

Add up Nimmo’s manufacturing on a charge foundation, his vastly improved protection in middle, his age and the widely skinny marketplace for center-field assist, and he in all probability has a stronger free-agent case than some would give him credit score for. He positioned as an honorable point out on MLBTR’s recently updated Free Agent Power Rankings, however Nimmo was No. 11 on our checklist, sitting simply behind his teammate, Diaz.

Coming off a (thus far) wholesome and productive season, he ought to be in a great place to money in on a multi-year deal that’ll in all probability exceed the expectations of many onlookers. Nimmo seemingly didn’t rent the Boras Company again in January in hopes of negotiating a team-friendly extension, in spite of everything. The aforementioned Cain/Fowler contracts ($80MM and $82.5MM, respectively) determine to be benchmarks Nimmo’s camp will look to exceed.