Brandon Nimmo ready for Mets to be new 'evil empire'

Outfielder Brandon Nimmo sounds ready for people to passionately dislike the New York Mets due to big-spending team owner Steve Cohen. 

"We definitely know we’re going to have that target on our back," Nimmo told reporters Tuesday, per John Harper of SNY. "It comes with the territory, and I’m good with it. We want to be the best and people want to take down the best. I want to be the team that other teams want to take down. You’ve gotta take pride in that. You’ve gotta be up for the challenge and be willing to prepare so that you’re ready every day because we’re going to get everyone’s A game." 

Nimmo remained with the Mets this offseason via an eight-year, $162 million contract that is one reason the Amazins are carrying what ESPN's Jeff Passan referred to on Feb. 6 as "baseball's largest payroll ever in 2023." According to Spotrac, the Mets are outspending the New York Yankees by nearly $70 million ahead of Opening Day. 

Understandably, Cohen has some remembering how former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was ripped by some critics for "buying" World Series titles and pennants in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

"I don’t know, we might be (the new 'Evil Empire')," Nimmo continued during his comments. "With Steve making a lot of splashes in the offseason, there are a lot of similarities. We’re doing what the Yankees always used to do: We’re going for it." 

The Mets have a long journey ahead of them if they're going to catch the Yankees even as it pertains to recent successes. While the Yankees have played in the American League Championship Series on three occasions since 2017 alone, the Mets haven't competed in the National League Championship Series or won a pennant since they lost the 2015 World Series to the Kansas City Royals. Last fall, the Mets were bounced from the Wild Card round of the playoffs by the San Diego Padres. 

Nimmo added that he wants the Mets, as a whole, to "embrace" being a team that people hate. 

"I know the guys last year had a lot of bulldog fight and grit in them," he said. "We played with a chip on our shoulder. I hope we’ll have that same attitude." 

That's all well and good, but this year's edition of the Mets should also remember to try and have a little more fun during the closing stretch of the upcoming season after what occurred in 2022.