The business of baseball falls within. How can it not? Francisco Lindor is a Met because the Indians decided they could not pay him in the future while continuing to afford the rest of a struggling list.
And in the seconds – the seconds – after the Mets acquired Lindor, thoughts immediately shifted to whether Lindor could be retained in the long run by the power of Steve Cohen’s wallet.
The cha-ching is never far away. It’s a business after all.
But there really is a game related to the business. And while the Mets continue to practice until the end of spring to see if they can keep the shortstop, it should be a while longer, especially among Mets fans:
Francisco Lindor is in your team.
And Cohen owns your team.
So do not worry as much as the Mets will keep Lindor. The man who signed the checks is now doing so with ‘COHEN’ and not ‘WILPON’. It should comfort Mets fans that if the team wants to retain the player in the long run. Whether the contract is done at the end of spring training or after the season, Cohen will come to the party with the biggest wallet and probably the most motivation. So for now, keep the baseball business aside if you like the team and you like it:
One of the best players in the world is a Met.
Think about it. If there were a distribution of each player in the majors tomorrow, how many choices would be made before choosing a 27-year-old midfielder with five tools, endurance and a winning personality off the field? Who do you have? Mookie Betts and Mike Trout and maybe Trevor Story and / or Fernando Tatis Jr. You can compile a list. You will not reach ten before Lindor. Heck, you probably will not get ten before you take Lindor and Jacob deGrom, especially if the priority now is to win.
Lindor remarked several times during a Zoom conference with reporters that he wanted to be a small piece of the puzzle that would bring a championship to Flushing. Nice humble sentiment. But he is not a small piece. He is what you set up to make a difference.
Lindor comes on the field like no other current midfielder and has been playing in 96 percent of the Indians’ regular and post-season games for the past five years. He hits well from both sides of the plate, but if he’s better, it’s from the right, which would help a Mets lineup that tilts to the left. And he is perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the game coming from a team that has not picked the position well in recent years. The player fits the team like a glove.
Maybe the city too. In his introductory 41-minute press conference, Lindor honors his representative for positivity and enthusiasm. He handled questions in English and Spanish like a hanging curve – not a problem at all. He thanked Cleveland and embraced New York. He leans heavily on feeling “excited” and “blessed” for this new union.
Lindor’s best moment was to discuss the plague of the pandemic. Lindor was outspoken last year against two of his teammates – Mike Clevinger and Zach Plesac – for violating protocols. On Monday, he said he loved the team as teammates, but he noted that the protocols were not just the protection of a healthy, well-groomed professional athlete, but those who were vulnerable in your area. It was just the right tone – which was true in all his answers.
This included staying open – just like with Cleveland – to discuss a long-term deal, though he explained that once spring training ends, it’s time to focus solely on play, not money. He will therefore sign a long term before the first pitch of the regular season or only switch on again after that.
What do the Mets do? There are those of the Indians who felt that the contract was on track last year and could possibly declare its worst offensive year. Or maybe it was just 60 games (he played all by chance) and that Lindor would have been over 162 Lindor. Nevertheless, if the Mets believe in the player, they can remove the contract from his head by having it done sooner rather than later. Or maybe the Mets want to ensure that Lindor is actually productive and happy before such an investment. Once again, Cohen’s wealth ensures that they can wait and probably still win for this player in the end and – by the way – if he is offered $ 350 million during the All-Star holiday, he will then really refuse and wait until after the year?
But again, for Mets fans who are business and business, it should now be put on the table for the enjoyment of landing a player of this skill. Lindor used an expression twice during his conference about what he plans to do. This is also good advice for those who will root for him.
“Enjoy the ride.”