The New York Mets made sweeping roster changes during the offseason, but several of those moves are already backfiring in dramatic fashion. Injuries to key additions like Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco have weakened the lineup, while veteran infielder Marcus Semien has struggled badly despite remaining healthy and consistently available in the lineup. Instead of stabilizing the team, Semien has become one of the least productive everyday players in Major League Baseball this season, turning what already looked like a questionable trade into an even more troubling situation for New York.
The deal that sent longtime Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Semien is drawing increasing criticism, especially after comments from former MLB general manager and current analyst Jim Bowden. Bowden believes Semien’s sharp decline is not temporary but rather a sign that the veteran star has entered the downward phase of his career permanently.
Bowden argued that the Mets should have recognized warning signs during Semien’s final season in Texas before making the trade. According to him, the offensive production that once made Semien one of baseball’s most valuable middle infielders is unlikely to return. While Semien still provides strong defense and continues to perform at a Gold Glove level in the field, his offensive regression has become impossible to ignore.
Over the course of his impressive 14-year MLB career, Semien established himself as one of the game’s most reliable and productive players, accumulating 49.5 career bWAR and earning three All-Star selections. However, the 2026 season has been a completely different story. Through the early portion of the campaign, Semien owns a disappointing .225 batting average, a weak .592 OPS, and a 70 OPS+, while posting a negative bWAR figure of -0.1. Those numbers represent a massive drop from the standards he set during his peak years.
Bowden pointed out that signs of decline were already visible during Semien’s final year with Texas. Although he still managed to contribute 3.3 bWAR in 2025, his offensive metrics dipped noticeably. His 98 OPS+ marked one of the weakest offensive seasons of his career, and his .669 OPS was the lowest he had posted as a full-time player. Those indicators now appear to have foreshadowed the severe downturn he is experiencing this season.
From 2021 through 2024, Semien was widely regarded as one of baseball’s elite all-around players, combining power, durability, leadership, and defense at an exceptionally high level. But the dramatic regression in 2026 is beginning to look less like a temporary slump and more like the beginning of a permanent decline phase that often affects aging veterans.
For the Mets organization, the situation is becoming increasingly concerning because of the financial commitment attached to Semien. New York not only parted ways with Nimmo a fan favorite and productive outfielder but also inherited the remaining three years of Semien’s massive $175 million contract. If his offensive struggles continue, the Mets could find themselves locked into an expensive long-term commitment to a player whose best years are already behind him.
What once looked like an aggressive win-now move is now being viewed by many analysts as one of the most damaging trades of the Mets’ recent era. Losing Nimmo’s production while taking on a declining Semien could ultimately leave New York paying a premium price for diminishing returns, making the trade appear worse with every passing week.
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