Brandon Nimmo: Mets trade to Rangers definitely took me as a shock' | amNewYork

"It definitely took me as a shock, Nimmo said. We had built this life centered around that we were going to be New York Mets until the very end."

"I needed to know that the Rangers were committed to trying to win a World Series, Nimmo said. That this wasn't a rebuild that I was coming into. That this was somewhere that I was extremely wanted and was somewhere that I felt like we would be competing for World Series titles year in and year out. [Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young] made that abundantly clear."

"He has nothing but amazing things to say about the Rangers, Nimmo said. He's been on both sides, and he has absolutely thrived in this environment. He thinks that we are capable of winning a World Series."

Brandon Nimmo was traded by the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers in exchange for veteran second baseman Marcus Semien, ending a 14-year run with the Mets. Nimmo, 32, came off a career-best 25-home-run season and had a contract with five years and $102 million remaining that included a full no-trade clause. Semien's limited no-trade clause listed the Mets, so the transaction required Nimmo's approval. Nimmo said the move was a shock and sought assurance that the Rangers were committed to competing for World Series titles. Jacob deGrom and Rangers executives helped assure him of that commitment.

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