Radio Host Mike Francesca Says Mets Traded Star Player Because He Supported Trump

Did the New York Mets blow up their roster because of a political disagreement? 

It sounds outlandish, but that's almost exactly what New York radio host Mike Francesa said about one of the Mets' biggest offseason moves thus far. In November, the Mets made a fairly surprising trade: outfielder Brandon Nimmo was sent to the Texas Rangers for infielder Marcus Semien. 

Nimmo had been part of the Mets organization since being drafted in 2011. Ahead of the 2023 season, they signed him to an 8-year, $162 million contract that seemed to make him a Met for life. Just a few years later, he was unceremoniously flipped to the Rangers. It took fans by surprise. 

But maybe it shouldn't have, if Francesa is to be believed. In one of his recent shows, he claimed that Nimmo was dealt as part of a series of disagreements about politics with star shortstop Francisco Lindor. More specifically, that one of the two players supported President Donald Trump and the other didn't.

What now?

NEW YORK - New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) high fives outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) after winning against the Los Angeles Angels at Citi Field on July 23, 2025. Photo: John Jones-Imagn Images

Did Brandon Nimmo And Francisco Lindor Fight About Donald Trump?

"The Nimmo-Lindor thing, my understanding, was political, had to do with Trump," Francesa said. "One side liked Trump, one side didn’t like Trump."

He added, "So, Trump split up Nimmo and Lindor. That’s my understanding. It started over Trump… As crazy as that sounds, crazier things have happened."

Quite simply, that doesn't make much sense. First, it's important to note that it's highly likely Nimmo is the Trump supporter, having grown up in Wyoming, one of the deepest red states. But additionally, baseball clubhouses are overwhelmingly conservative. If Lindor had an issue with Nimmo supporting Trump, he'd likely have an issue with…most of his teammates. Obviously, we'd know about it if Lindor's hatred for Trump caused a rift in the clubhouse.

That's the other part; there's been basically no reporting that Nimmo and Lindor didn't get along, until now. And it's apparently linked mostly to former reliever Adam Ottovino saying that he wouldn't be surprised if Nimmo didn't like the talk of Lindor being made the "captain" of the Mets. Ottovino even specified that he didn't have inside knowledge, if that was the case, but it wouldn't surprise him if it were.

Not exactly proof positive that the two didn't get along. 

Maybe there was a disagreement between the two over politics along the way. Maybe it even happened in the 2025 regular season, as Trump started his second administration and ramped up immigration enforcement, among other policies. But it's a near-certainty that disagreements happen all the time between teammates, over any number of issues. Part of being a professional athlete in a team sport is learning to put aside differences and work together to achieve a common goal. Nimmo and Lindor are both consummate professional athletes. 

Still, Francesa likely wouldn't just make up such a report, but maybe the importance of a hypothetical disagreement was overblown by whoever he spoke to. Or the front office thought that the chemistry in the clubhouse could be improved. Whatever the case may be, it would be stunning if the Mets actually traded one of their longest-tenured players due to politics. Especially for sharing the views that an overwhelming majority of baseball players have.