After months of speculation regarding shortstop Francisco Lindor’s future in Cleveland, the 27-year-old star has reportedly been dealt to the New York Mets, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The Francisco Lindor-to-the-Mets trade is being finalized, sources tell ESPN. This is going to happen. The first mega-move of the Steve Cohen era gives the team its new face.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 7, 2021
The deal will reportedly include Mets shortstop Andres Gimenez as well as 2019 second-round pick Ryan Wolf, a pitching prospect, and young outfielder Isaiah Greene going back to Cleveland, but most importantly gives New York a reliably solid two-way middle infielder in the prime of his career.
A report from Mike Feinsand of MLB.com indicated veteran Cleveland pitcher Carlos Carrasco would be headed to New York as well.
So the Mets will be getting Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Indians, per source. That's quite a day.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 7, 2021
After a down year in 2020 during MLB’s condensed 60-game scheduled in which he batted just .258 with an 102 OPS+, Lindor’s value seemed to be depleted a bit, but the Mets pulled the trigger here, anyway. Assuming Lindor’s salary is somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million after arbitration, the Mets are taking in a hefty salary for a player who will also be a free agent in 2022.
In a subsequent report, though, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that Lindor could soon be in talks to negotiate an extension with the Mets, similar to what Mookie Betts did after being traded to the Dodgers last offseason.
If the Mets complete the deal for Francisco Lindor, there would seem to be an excellent chance he'll work out a long-term deal to stay, as Mookie Betts did with the Dodgers. Some agents believe Lindor's best leverage will be now, rather than in large class of elite FA shortstops.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 7, 2021
Still, Lindor is still just 27, so there is every reason to believe that he could come out rejuvenated in 2021 with a new ballclub now that Cleveland’s run as a perennial seems to be winding down. A fresh start could be good for Lindor, who was an All-Star from 2016-2019 and received AL MVP votes in each of those four seasons.
