Rival Executives On Mets' Plans To Trade Francisco Lindor (+ 3 Teams Named)
Rival executives believe that the Mets will trade shortstop Francico Lindor this winter – not at the trade deadline. He’s owed $160 million over the next five years after this season, and has a full no-trade clause, complicating a deal by Aug. 3.
The calculus is that with the combination of Lindor having last say on any move, and the massive amount left on his contract, trading him mid-season would be extremely difficult. A full offseason of four months or so gives both Lindor and other teams plenty of time to consider the possibilities, and how he might fit into another club's future plans (and budget).
Lindor's 2026 campaign has been a virtual write-off due to missing significant time after surgery on a fractured left hamate bone and a severe left calf strain. He's only played 43 games, and is hitting just .210 with a .695 OPS.
But when healthy, Lindor's numbers each season are as consistent as they come: About 100 runs, 30 HR, 90 RBIs and 30 stolen bases. All while batting in the .270 range with better than an .800 OPS.
He's 32, so not necessarily on the decline yet either. But with that contract, it'll be tricky to find a taker—whether it be now, in the offseason, or even next season.
Nevertheless, Tim Boyle of Rising Apple.com proposes 3 landing spots that could emerge in the winter:
1. Toronto Blue Jays
"Gimenez’s biggest appeal is his defense which would certainly be welcomed by the Mets... (They) would probably need some young talent back in this trade to make it worth their time," Boyle wrote.
2. San Diego Padres
"San Diego’s financial hardship with several mammoth contracts made them a match to potentially swap some bad contracts with the Mets. A variety of trades make sense. One that could make sense in the offseason is for Lindor to get traded there for one of their outrageous contracts."
3. San Francisco Giants
"The San Francisco Giants are a unique match for a Lindor trade because they’ve run into a lot of the same problems as the Padres. They have big contracts on the books and haven’t been so successful. A trade for Lindor probably begins with Willy Adames coming to the Mets to play third base," Boyle proposed.
"The contracts are actually way too close of a match for this to not be one of the hottest offseason rumors. Adames makes $31.14 million in each of the next five years. Slightly less than Lindor, he’s younger and someone David Stearns already knows from their time with the Milwaukee Brewers."
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