New York Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo knew that he was going to get paid this offseason, by the Mets or any of the other teams interested in his services.
Perhaps not even he imagined that he was going to get $162 million, though, which is great and speaks (loudly) about the health of the game.
The Mets gave him that money to return for the next eight years: it’s safe to say that, barring an unexpected trade, he will spend his whole career in Queens.
The player, of course, is thrilled to return to the only franchise
“#LGM! Glad to be back! Let’s go!” the player tweeted, showing his happiness.
#LGM! Glad to be back! Let’s go!
— Brandon Nimmo (@You_Found_Nimmo) December 9, 2022
We would be tempted to say it’s an overpay, but the reality is that the increasing competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold and no lockout have created a better environment for teams to spend and it’s happening all over the league, not just with Nimmo.
Clubs that really want their players will have to pay dearly and surrender a lot of years.
Nimmo Benefitted From A Players’ Market
It’s the nature of the market: the highest bidder often wins, and when there are several clubs interested in one player, this will happen.
Nimmo certainly deserves to be paid, though.
He is one of the game’s premier center fielders and leadoff hitters, capable of getting on base at an elite .385 clip for his career.
He was brilliant in 2022, hitting .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, an NL-leading seven triples and 16 home runs.
He scored 102 runs, too.
Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, Jeff McNeil and company will enjoy having Nimmo back as the Mets’ leadoff hitter.
Few players get on base quite at his clip in MLB.
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