New York Mets star Mark Canha thinks re-signing outfield-mate Brandon Nimmo was a key move for the team: "He's kind of like that cornerstone piece"

Brandon Nimmo was a big piece of the New York Mets' off-season, one in which they spent a ton of money. Nimmo was a huge chunk of that, but his re-signing was possibly one of their best moves.

Fellow outfielder Mark Canha, who played his first season with the Mets last year, was thrilled that it wasn't his last time playing alongside Nimmo. He believes that Nimmo is a key piece of the franchise and he's glad he is staying with the Mets.

On the subject, Canha said:

"It's not an addition, but the one I was the most excited about, just because I got to play with him last year, is Brandon Nimmo. Bringing him back, I felt like he is such a valuable player in so many ways.

"He's kind of like that cornerstone piece is the way I viewed it. I was really hoping they'd bring him back because not that the center field position gets taken for granted, but I think what he does can."

He added:

"Just how good he is out there and how good he is at the leadoff spot, he's really like a prototype kind of player that just has tremendous value. When you play in the corners, you can really feel how good a guy is in center field because of how many balls they get to. You really feel his presence when you're playing next to him. He's just so good."

Center field is one of the most valuable positions on the field as it can set the tone for the entire outfield. Having someone like Nimmo makes life easier for Canha and Starling Marte out there.

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How good is Brandon Nimmo?

Brandon Nimmo had a career year in 2022, a big reason he got a massive contract from the New York Mets. He recorded 5.4 fWAR and a 134 wRC+. He hit 16 home runs as well.

How good is Brandon Nimmo?

On defense, he wasn't quite as good as Canha advertised. In almost 1,300 innings in center field, he was slightly below average with -3 defensive runs saved. For his entire career, he's a little below average with -2 total defensive runs saved.