PORT ST. LUCIE — Despite all the rumors, the Mets never considered trading Brandon Nimmo this offseason, sources told The Post. He is too valuable to them as a center fielder.
They were too excited about the numbers he put up in September, when Nimmo added a leg kick to his swing after returning from a neck injury.
Listen to Mets hitting coach Chili Davis.
“My question to him was, ‘Are you in the same mindset that you were at the end of last year?’ ’’ Davis told The Post on Friday at Mets pre-camp. “It wasn’t even the numbers he put up at the end of the year, it was his approach and his movement in the batter’s box was so nice, so I wanted to make sure he didn’t change this because it was working for him and that’s the thing I want to see him perfect.’’
Nimmo, who turns 27 next month, will enter spring training with that leg kick and in a better mental and physical place now that his neck injury has been stabilized. Nimmo put up a .995 OPS that final month.
Nimmo has two bulging disks that limited him to 69 games last season.
“The biggest thing for me is health, once I ran into that wall [in mid April] the season really changed for me,’’ he explained. “We ended up trying to play through it and that didn’t work and I ended up having to take time off. Being able to produce in September showed that I am the same guy I was [before the injury].’’
Actually better. Nimmo is certain he can avoid further neck issues.
“It ended up being two bulging disks, but, hey, everybody is walking around with two bulging disks,’’ said Nimmo, perhaps the most positive and optimistic player in the major leagues. “From what I understood from the injury, most people, as you go through life you just end up having these things, but unfortunately for me, part of my job description was I need to run as fast as I can that way while looking back that way. Going through normal life it doesn’t bother me too much, but you put it through the stresses of trying to fire on it 100 percent of the time plus all the swings, it all adds up.
“There are a few things I have to do to keep that at bay. It’s something I will have the rest of my life. I just have to do the rehab, do the strengthening, do the mobility exercises but coming back in September and being able to have that September, I think it really proved that I could do that.’’
Said Davis: “I liked where he finished and I’d like to see him pick it up right from there.’’
Nimmo moved here this offseason and is ahead of where he was last year, when he spent most of his time in New York.
“His return to play was incredible,’’ general manager Brodie Van Wagenen told The Post. “We all saw what he did in 2018 and the first five months of last year were challenging to him physically and emotionally, but when he came back in September, his athleticism was as good as it has ever been and he was explosive and had the same plate discipline.’’
About 20 minutes have been added to Nimmo’s pregame routine to get his neck ready. Another key, Nimmo added with a smile, is to stay away from walls.
“For me, that one catch was great, but it would have been better to play for three months,” he said. “I’m still going to play as hard as I can, but there is also playing smart and playing hard.’’
Nimmo has a history with new manager Luis Rojas, having played for him at three different levels of minor league ball.
“He was my first manager in 2011,’’ Nimmo said. “Luis asked two things of me: Play hard and limit the mental mistakes. Think the game through. That’s pretty much what he asks of every guy. We love playing for him. It’s nice to have a history. That’s often overlooked these days but having that history to know what to expect from each other is so important.’’
Could be a game-changer.