"Mets wanted a grown-up" - MLB insider ties Brandon Nimmo trade to deeper issues between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor

CBS Baseball national reporter Julian McWilliams said the Mets' surprising decision to trade Brandon Nimmo wasn't just about contracts or roster reconstruction. McWilliams believes clubhouse chemistry is an issue.

On Monday, the Mets finalized the trade to send Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. Nimmo, being the longest-tenured Mets player, made the move all the more surprising.

McWilliams shared his two cents about the trade on Monday's episode of "Baseball isn't Boring podcast."

"The Mets wanted a grownup in the room, right?" McWilliams said (Timestamp: 14:07). "As much as we think that Francisco Lindor is a grownup in the room, from what I heard, he's not from a lot of people. As much as we heard about, oh, him and Juan Soto isn't a thing, from the people I spoke to, it is. There is a thing between those two guys."

The insider said Brandon Nimmo and another Mets player, Jeff McNeil, added to the emotional volatility the club wants to address.

"With Brandon Nimmo, he's a guy that can get emotional," McWilliams said. "You can throw Jeff McNeil in there as well. From what I heard from people who are around the team is, Jeff McNeil goes from the dugout to the press box, I mean, to the clubhouse, and he immediately scrolls for his name on Twitter."

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MLB insider sees Marcus Semien as an apt solution for the Mets

The New York Mets selected Brandon Nimmo with the 13th pick in the 2011 MLB draft. Nimmo debuted for the Mets in 2016 and, after the 2022 season, signed a nine-year, $162 million free agent contract to remain with the team.

While Nimmo is among the well-liked players in the Mets clubhouse, CBS Baseball national reporter Julian McWilliams sees his emotional personality not suited to the current scenario.

In his recent appearance on the "Baseball isn't Boring podcast," the insider put forth his theory that Marcus Semien, whom the Mets got in return for Nimmo, is the apt solution.

"Marcus Semien isn't going to do any of that (Like Nimmor or McNeil)," McWilliams said (Timestamp: 14:53). "I would put my career on the line and say Marcus is a good man. That's a genuine good person. And professional as they come. He's won before."

Semien is a three-time All-Star and was an integral part of the Rangers' 2023 World Series-winning squad. A two-time All-MLB first-team selection, Semien has also won two Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger Awards.