Brandon Nimmos focus is on Rangers playoff hopes not his Mets past

ARLINGTON, Texas — Brandon Nimmo is enjoying this new chapter of his career with a chance for a postseason return.The Rangers began Tuesday’s play leading the AL West by one game, a fact that Nimmo emphasized over questions about playing against his former team, the Mets, for the first time.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.

“We are in a spot where we are trying to make something happen here at the end of the year,” Nimmo said at Globe Life Field.Nimmo was a significant part of a Mets offseason overhaul, dealt to Texas for Marcus Semien after agreeing to waive his no-trade clause.Other dominoes soon fell, most notably Pete Alonso’s departure through free agency, after president of baseball operations David Stearns showed no interest in a long-term deal for the first baseman, who received $155 million over five years from the Orioles.Nimmo was asked if he felt as if he and Alonso became scapegoats for the team’s collapse last season that resulted in the Mets missing the playoffs.“I honestly think we just weren’t thought of as a solution moving forward,” Nimmo said.

“I don’t think we were blamed for what happened in the past.I tried not to read any more into it than that.”From afar, what has Nimmo thought of the Mets this season?“It was obviously not the way they drew it up, for things to start,” Nimmo said.

“But it looks like they are trying to finish on a good note and that is always something that is good, especially with young guys.When I was over there and we went through some tough years, finishing on a good note always made the young guys feel better going to the offseason about what was ahead for next year.”Nimmo was hardly surprised that Alonso, in his return to Citi Field last week, hit a game-tying blast in the ninth inning for career homer No.

300.“I know Pete, and he lives for those moments,” Nimmo said.“That’...