Marcus Semien was officially introduced as the newest member of the Mets, as the veteran infielder met with members of the media via a video call.
After thanking the Mets for welcoming him and his family, Semien said that while the trade – which sent Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers – took him by surprise, he’s very excited to join a talented Mets team.
“I know in this business, anything can happen,” Semien said. “I’m excited to join a ballclub that has good veteran players, great veteran players, Hall of Famers, and strong young players that look hungry.
“I got a chance to sit back and watch the series [between the Mets and Rangers] in September. I had an injury so I just sat back and watched and I liked the passion that the Mets players were playing with. I like the young pitching staff that they were putting out there, the stuff that those guys had, I’ve just been thinking about that series and imagining myself on that side now, and it makes me really excited.”
A three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner, Semien not only knows what it takes to win a World Series, as he did in 2023, but also knows the meaning of leading by example, playing in at least 159 games in a season eight times in his career.
“My style as a leader, it’s definitely something that has evolved. I think the one thing that has remained constant for me is leading by example with how I work, leading by example with how I respect each member of the organization,” Semien said. “Treat everybody like a man or a woman, whoever you’re working with. For me, I’m mostly talking about my teammates here, respect them, help them through tough times, get to know them as a person, get to know their families, so when we go out to battle we know how each other is going to react.”
Up until now, Semien has spent his entire 13-year big-league career in the American League, coming up with the White Sox before playing with Oakland, Toronto, and Texas, but he’s still plenty familiar with playing in New York, whether it’s the Bronx or Queens.
In fact, Semien said that the Big Apple used to be his favorite place to play on the road. And now he gets to call it home as he looks to help the Mets win their first World Series since 1986.
“When people ask me what’s your favorite road city, I say New York. I love being in the city,” Semien said. “I grew up on the West Coast, San Francisco, Bay Area. Maybe not as large as New York, in terms of culture, it’s definitely a place that I really enjoy being. Now I get to do what I love in that city in front of fans that love the game.
“There’s a strong history with the Mets organization. There have been great players who came through there and done some good things and I just want to be one of those players.”
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