Rangers' payroll after bizarre Marcus Semien trade raises more questions

The Texas Rangers shocked the baseball world on Sunday night by trading second baseman Marcus Semien, 35, to the New York Mets in exchange for left-handed hitting outfielder Brandon Nimmo, 32. New York also sent $5 million to Texas as part of the deal. Texas hasn't made it a secret that it intends to have a smaller payroll next season, so how does the blockbuster trade with the Mets affect that?

What is the Rangers' payroll after Marcus Semien-Brandon Nimmo trade with Mets?

Semien is owed $72 million for the remaining three seasons of the seven-year, $175 million contract he signed with the Rangers during the 2021-22 offseason. Nimmo is owed $101.25 million for the remaining five seasons of the eight-year, $162 million deal he signed with the Mets in the 2022-23 offseason.

When factoring in the luxury tax figures and the $5 million New York sent to Texas, Nimmo's tax number is $19.25 million, while Semien's is $24 million. While the Rangers have to pay Nimmo more than they would have had to pay Semien, they will now save money in annual payroll for the next three seasons and get two more seasons of Nimmo than they would have received from Semien.

After the trade, the Rangers have $144.25 million in total adjusted payroll allocations for 2026, according to Spotrac. After estimates for arbitration and pre-arbitration, Texas' projected total payroll for next season is $166.15 million.

The Rangers get to save around $5 million in 2026 with the trade. While Semien is an elite defender at second base, he has regressed significantly offensively since he posted a 126 OPS+ in 2023. His defense still makes him valuable, but the Rangers desperately need offensive help. Nimmo has a career OPS+ of 124 in ten seasons, while Semien has a career OPS+ of 109 over 13 seasons.

Nimmo is an average defender, but he brings the offensive boost the Rangers need. Last season, he hit .262/.324/.436 (114 OPS+). The trade looks good for the Rangers early on, as they subtracted from their strength (defense) and improved their weakness (offense) while saving annual payroll for the next few years.