The New York Mets and president of baseball operations David Stearns are back at the drawing board after missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Stearns has to find a way to improve the team and get it back to the postseason, and that means making tough decisions.
Juan Soto is the face of the Mets and isn’t going anywhere, while Bo Bichette has to decide whether to opt into the second year of his contract or test the free-agent market again. Bichette will make $42 million next season, and there’s no guarantee a team will give him that in free agency.
Meanwhile, there’s Francisco Lindor, and could the veteran infielder be a possible player that the team could listen to on offers? Lindor is in the middle of a 10-year contract that runs through the 2031 season.
Nonetheless, Adam Steinmetz of Toronto Blue Jays on SI floated Lindor’s name as an expensive trade option for the team up north after they failed to make the playoffs.
“In the second half, Lindor tied for 7th in baseball with 16 HR, besting 40-home-run sluggers Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, and Hunter Goodman,” Steinmetz wrote in an Oct. 3 article. “His full-season numbers were also hurt by a .242 BABIP, while his career average before this season was about 50 points higher. So why would the Mets trade him? Simple: money.
“Lindor will be 33 in 2027 and is still owed $185M. He is signed at $27M per season through 2031 and will then collect $5M each year of Uncle Steve’s Monopoly money from 2032 to 2041, even if he never passes Go.”
Francisco Lindor Is Familiar With Blue Jays’ Front Office
Given that Lindor has a no-trade clause from the 2026 season to the 2031 season, the infielder controls his future. However, Steinmetz points out that the Blue Jays could be a trade destination that Lindor could give the green light to, since he’s familiar with Toronto’s front office.
“Lindor has a full no-trade clause and has said he wants to stay in New York,” Steinmetz added in his article. “Lindor, though, is very familiar with the Blue Jays’ President and CEO, Mark Shapiro, and General Manager, Ross Atkins, from their time together in Cleveland.
“Shapiro and Atkins were in Cleveland when the Indians drafted and developed Lindor before Chris Antonetti later traded him to the Mets. The Blue Jays would pay for Lindor’s age-33-through-37 seasons, similar to the deal they signed with George Springer. Lindor hit the ball harder and increased his bat speed from 2025 to 2026, though he sacrificed some contact to do so.”
Mets Urged to Stay Away From Tarik Skubal in Free Agency
Regarding the free agent market, the Mets are being urged to avoid pursuing the top player: Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Tarik Skubal. Although the Mets need an ace, Underscore Media’s Sal Licata believes New York should stay away from Skubal, since the team will still have significant holes on the roster.
“In this particular spot, do you think Tarik Skubal alone is the difference-maker for the Mets? I don’t,” Licata said in an Oct. 1 Underscore Media video on X. “I think they need more than one guy atop their rotation, and if you’re telling me that there are going to be at least some kind of limitations, and forget the collective bargaining agreement, all that stuff, if there is going to be some kind of limitations.
“There always are; even Steve Cohen has his limit. It’s stupid to have the luxury tax threshold and not be able to go out and balance the team out if you need to. You don’t want to just go all in on three freaking players. It just doesn’t work.”
Blue Jays Receive Intriguing Take on Mets’ Francisco Lindor