The framework of the Texas Rangers’ roster already saw a dramatic change before Skip Schumaker’s first year as the club’s manager when Texas traded second baseman Marcus Semien in a one-for-one swap with the New York Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. 

The trade occurred in late November, and during Monday’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, Schumaker revealed his feelings surrounding the situation. 

“Obviously, Marcus was a big part of the organization,” Schumaker said. “And I had some really good conversations with him early on. Obviously, it was super early. But the trade happened and went down. And it happened pretty quickly, honestly.”  

“Really excited to have Brandon here. Obviously, Marcus was, again, a big part of this World Series run and turnaround that happened in this organization. was excited to potentially work with him and this core group, but also really excited about the new acquisition and Brandon and what we needed was an outfield production, obviously, and Brandon's definitely going to provide that.” 

Semien, 35, spent four seasons with the Rangers and slashed .276/.348/.478 with an .826 OPS and 29 home runs during the team’s journey in capturing the 2023 World Series. Since then, he has declined year-over-year offensively. Last season, he hit .230 with 15 home runs in 127 games as the Rangers finished 81-81 and missed the playoffs for the second-straight year. 

Nimmo comes to the Rangers after spending his entire 10-year career with the New York Mets. After hitting .262 with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs in 2025, Nimmo replaces much of Semien’s production and is three years younger. 

“[He is a] left-handed hitter; all the things that we are looking for,” Schumaker said. “I think he's going to provide some leadership in that clubhouse. I've had some really good conversations with him lately. And so, he's excited. We're excited. And I think he's going to really be helpful, especially at the top of the order.” 

Beyond Nimmo’s skillset, Schumaker praised his intangibles. 

“He's very intentional. He has a lot of substance behind what he's doing with whatever topic we're talking about. Again, he's very intentional. You can tell with his relationships, whether it's with coaches, front office, teammates, getting to know him. He's really driven, and he feels like he has something to prove every single year and definitely feels like he has something to prove this year after the trade.”  

“You have to understand how it was a lot for him. I mean, he grew up in an organization that's the only one he knew as a 17-year-old kid to now, where his family grew up. And to make a change was not an easy decision, but very grateful that he made it and part of what we're trying to do here. I can't tell you exactly what it's going to look like. There's definitely been conversation with Wyatt in center field.” 

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