MLB free agency: Brandon Nimmo...

Brandon Nimmo was one of the most essential players for the New York Mets last season, and he's decided to stay for the long haul. Passan, the outfielder has agreed to an eight-year, $162 million contract with the Mets.

Nimmo had a walk-year in which he hit.274/.367/.433 with 16 home runs and a team-leading 102 runs. He has the most triples in the National League with seven. It also elevates the Mets to the rank of real financial juggernaut in MLB. With the additions of Nimmo and reliever David Robertson, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract around the same time, the Mets are expected to have the highest payroll in the league in 2023, at $322 million.

The pros of signing Brandon Nimmo

Nimmo, the 13th overall choice in the 2011 MLB Draft, made his debut with the Mets in 2016 as a consensus top-100 prospect. Injuries delayed his rise to starting position until 2018, but the end result was a highly useful player.

Only Mike Trout, Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge have higher cumulative on-base percentages since that 2018 season. He's a guy who can make contact and get a walk, but he's also one of the best in MLB at drawing hit-by-pitches.

Furthermore, his defense in center field has been solid. When you combine that glove at a premium position with one of MLB's finest batters for getting on base, it's no surprise Nimmo fetched such a high price.

The cons of signing Brandon Nimmo

Remember how Nimmo needed some time off before his first full-time season? Well, health has never been a given for him. In his seven-year career, he has only played 100-plus games twice, and that doesn't count the shortened 2020 season, in which he played 55 of 60 games.

Nimmo has a long history of injuries. He has been on the injured list several times, due to injuries to his neck and fingers, as well as a partly collapsed lung in 2017. The good news is that he was essentially an every-day player all year in 2022, with only a brief stay on the COVID-19 list.

Nimmo's healthy season is encouraging, but he'll be 30 by Opening Day next year. It's not often that a player in his 30s shakes the frequently-injured label, but he'll be compensated with that expectation — or hope.

There's also the reality that, while Nimmo is excellent at getting on base, his career isolated power of.173 ranks him in the middle of the pack. We'll observe how that profile changes over time.