Brandon Nimmo can’t deny that the faces around him next year could look a lot different than they did during the 2021 season.
That reality has to come as a bit of a shock for Mets fans and the players themselves, who could soon be watching the explosion of a core of young players that many considered to be the foundation for a contender.
“This team could look completely different next year, and this organization could,” Nimmo said. “It’s incredible, all the things that could happen this offseason. With that being said, I’m trying to soak it in and enjoy these people and this time, these last couple games, because we don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know what this offseason will look like.”
Nimmo, who smacked two home runs on Friday night, is arbitration eligible this offseason, and will almost certainly get a deal from the Mets after putting up a .408 OBP through 90 games so far this season. But other homegrown Mets, like Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto, could be playing elsewhere in 2022 after disappointing seasons that contributed to a monumental second-half collapse.
Mets fans feel the same in terms of a potential change, leading to a standing ovation for Michael Conforto earlier this week, in what could have been his final home game as a Met as he prepares for free agency.
“I’ve definitely given that some thought lately, especially that last game in New York when Michael made that amazing catch,” Nimmo said. “It just felt like that was meant to happen. Mike and I have been together a really, really long time. That’s obviously uncertain now. Same with a lot of guys on this team, and the chemistry we’ve built. A lot of that is uncertain. A lot of moves have to be made.”
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McNeil, an All-Star in 2019, has an OPS of just .679 this year, while Smith took an even more troubling descent, seeing his .993 OPS from 2020 drop to just .672 this season. Conforto saw a significant drop in offensive production as well, which could lead the new Mets regime, led by Steve Cohen and whoever he brings in to be the team’s new president of baseball operations, to consider big changes after another disappointing showing.
That could mean waving the white flag on a core that was expected to get the Mets over the hump offensively and into the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
“I feel a little bit of disappointment in that, because I enjoy those guys so much,” Nimmo said. “I felt the same way as everyone else, that this team is gonna be built to win here. And it’s now an end. Obviously, that didn’t happen, so you’re gonna have disappointment not reaching expectations there, and it felt like a perfect storm of some guys having some down starts and that kind of snowballing into what they would consider down seasons for them. That all kind of happening in the same season, that’s just terrible luck.”
Whatever the reason for the core’s collective step backward, it could lead to a step in a different direction for the organization as a whole, meaning Nimmo, along with Pete Alonso, could be among the only homegrown talents remaining from a crop that arrived with so much promise.
“I will enjoy the times I’ve had with these guys,” Nimmo said. “I don’t know if it’s over or if it’s not, but like I said, the future is uncertain, so I will enjoy these last two days that I know I’ll get, and after that, I’ll only look back fondly on playing with those guys.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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