ARLINGTON, Texas — The Mets really are going for it.
Free-agent center fielder Brandon Nimmo agreed to return on an eight-year, $162 million deal, sources said Thursday night. That the second largest contract in franchise history.
They bolstered their bullpen, too, by bringing in right-hander David Robertson on a one-year, $10 million pact, a source added.
That underscored — but perhaps did not punctuate — a productive week in which the Mets have added six players (so far) across the rotation, bullpen and outfield, sending their payroll shooting way past $300 million. It is poised to be by far the highest in major league history.
“[Nimmo’s wife] Chelsea and I are extremely excited to continue this World Series pursuit with the Mets from top to bottom,” Nimmo said via text to Newsday. “That is the goal on everyone’s mind here in the organization. Steve [Cohen] and Billy [Eppler] made that apparent throughout the discussions.”
This contract positions Nimmo — the Mets’ first-rounder in 2011, their first draft pick of the Sandy Alderson era — to stay in a Mets uniform through 2030, when he will be 37.
In retaining Nimmo, the Mets solidify their outfield situation, setting it up to be the same as last season: Mark Canha in left, Nimmo in center and Starling Marte in right, barring further changes. They also keep their leadoff hitter with a career .385 OBP, Nimmo’s patient approach often serving a sparkplug in recent seasons.
The knock on Nimmo through the years has been his ability to stay on the field. But he played in a career-high 151 games in 2022, just his second time reaching triple digits, and had a .274/.367/.433 slash line.
The only Mets contract larger than Nimmo's is Francisco Lindor's 10-year, $341 million deal.
Robertson, 38 next season, joins closer Edwin Diaz and left-hander Brooks Raley (acquired via trade with the Rays on Wednesday) in the back of the bullpen. He had a 2.40 ERA last season, which he spent with the Cubs and Phillies. That was his first full season since 2018, the end of his second stint with the Yankees.
