NEW YORK – A month ago Marcus Semien was a father of four and had three years left on a lucrative contract in Texas.
Needless to say, the house has seen some big changes lately.
Three weeks after he and his wife Tara welcomed their fifth child, Semien was traded to the Rangers. New York Mets on Monday for the veteran outfielder. Brandon Nimmo.
And just like that, the Gold Glove second baseman was off to a new city and his fifth major league team—his first in the National League.
“It was amazing. Just realizing that, I signed a long-term deal here four years ago,” Semien said Tuesday via Zoom. “But again, I'm very aware of what's going on in the business side of baseball, just paying attention to everything. So I knew in my heart that something could always happen.”
In an effort to improve their defense, the Mets agreed to send 32-year-old Nimmo – their longest-tenured player – and $5 million to Texas in place of Semien, who at 35 has three seasons and $72 million remaining on the seven-year, $175 million contract he signed with the Rangers in December 2021.
“I want to play until they tell me to go home,” Semien said. “At this point in my career, it’s really nice to have a team that believes in me, sees what I do well and wants to help me.”
Semien said he was working out last Friday when he received a call from agent Scott Boras saying a deal could be done. But the parties were waiting to hear whether Nimmo would waive the no-trade clause in the eight-year, $162 million contract he signed with New York after the 2022 season, so Semien was asked to remain silent for a while.
He initially spoke only to his family until news of the agreement broke on Sunday. That's when Semien called former Texas teammate Max Scherzer and asked him about playing in New York. Scherzer played for the Mets during the 2022-23 season.
“I just asked him more about family stuff than baseball because I know he has four kids of his own and just kind of pushed him away from some things about how we were going to do things in the future,” Semien said.
“As far as baseball itself, I’m excited to play in a big market, play in front of fans that bring energy every night because it brings out the best in me.”
Semien grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended UC Berkeley, but said New York is his favorite city to tour.
He was sidelined with a broken leg when Texas took two of three hits from the Mets at Citi Field in September.
“I just sat there and watched and I loved the passion with which the Mets players played,” Semien said. “I liked the young pitching staff they put out there and what those guys had. And I was just thinking about this show and imagining myself on this side now, and it makes me very excited.”
Semien won his second Gold Glove of the season despite missing the final 5 1/2 weeks after fouling out on a pitch on Aug. 20. It was only the second time he had been on the injured list in 13 major league seasons. He played at least 155 games eight times.
“I want to be a player who plays every single day. I want to be a player who hits every ball,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in keeping my body healthy and making sure my defense is up to par.
“I feel like when I play every day, I get better. Experience is key in this game. Playing every day and getting better throughout the year is what I want to do.”
Semien, a three-time All-Star, finished third in AL MVP voting three times for three different teams: the Oakland Athletics in 2019, the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 and Texas in 2023, when he helped the Rangers win their only World Series title.
His OPS dropped to .699 in 2024 and .669 this year, but he believes new Mets hitting coaches Jeff Albert and Troy Snitker can help him regain his swing at the plate.
“Offensively, I think I still have a lot to offer,” Semien said. “I'm disappointed with how I performed offensively last year.”
He knows it won't be an easy task stepping into the fold for the popular and respected Nimmo, who posted a .760 OPS this year and set career highs with 25 homers and 92 RBIs.
“I understand how good it was to have Brandon in the clubhouse. I understand how much Brandon was a fan favorite and I feel for Mets fans when you lose a player who was there and who was such an integral part of this roster and the community, he has a great personality and such a good guy,” Semien said.
“I want to get to know the fans, get to know the community, let my game speak for me. And I think I'll definitely be a presence in that locker room that guys can lean on. That's always my goal… Hopefully Brandon, what he's done, hopefully I can step in and do the same.”
