A former Mets general manager has proposed a blockbuster trade that would see New York cut ties with five-time All-Star Francisco Lindor to acquire a three-time Gold Glove shortstop.
The proposal would represent a stunning change of direction for the Mets, but the player who would be coming back for Lindor makes the hypothetical deal especially intriguing.
Steve Phillips, who ran the Mets front office from 1997 to 2003, raised the idea on “MLB Now,” identifying Andrés Giménez as the centerpiece return and pointing to Toronto’s anemic offense and a pair of executives who know Lindor better than most.
Phillips Pitches Blue Jays As Lindor Landing Spot
“One team that I think would consider Lindor, the Toronto Blue Jays. So Toronto needs offense. You’ve got Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins, who were in Cleveland when Lindor was there,” Phillips said on Friday’s edition of the MLB Network show, as quoted in a report from ClutchPoints. “They could send back Andrés Giménez, who’s going to make $23 million a year for the next three years after this year.”
Lindor is locked into a 10-year, $341 million contract extension that carries an average annual salary of $34.1 million and runs through 2031, and Phillips framed the gap between the two deals as workable even with the sticker shock attached to Giménez’s side.
“It’s a lot of money for him, but Lindor’s like 34 million a year. You’d get a solid defensive shortstop. Remember, David Stearns said he wanted run prevention,” Phillips continued. “That would definitely help. Lindor’s a good shortstop, but if you’re going to replace him, bringing a guy back in, and I think there could be a taker in Toronto potentially in a Lindor-type deal.”
USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale reported Friday, however, that the Mets have told potential Lindor suitors that the 12-year veteran is off limits for now, but they could still change their collective mind if the right offer came along.
Other Lindor Scenarios Floating For Weeks
Phillips isn’t the only one who has analyzed the Lindor trade situation. Bleacher Report‘s Zachary Rymer built an eight-team menu of potential Lindor trades this month, including a version that sent Toronto the shortstop for pitchers José Berríos and Jeff Hoffman plus a shortstop prospect, a deal Rymer argued would address Andrés Giménez’s light bat while netting Toronto a real middle-of-the-order threat. Rymer’s board also contained Cleveland, the Dodgers, and the Yankees, though he rated actual movement as unlikely given Lindor’s full no-trade rights.
Lindor, a four-time All-Star with Cleveland before his 2021 trade to Queens — making another All-Star team in 2025 — has spent this year fighting through a calf strain that cost him two months. He’s hitting .227 with eight home runs in 53 games, well off his career .272 average and 287 home runs.
Giménez, who was traded for Lindor once already by Cleveland in 2021, won three straight Gold Gloves at second base with the Guardians from 2022 through 2024 and has shifted to shortstop in Toronto since Bo Bichette’s departure. His .228 average and seven homers this season, however, are the latest indicators that his bat does not match his glove.
New York sits last in the NL East, well outside contention after firing manager Carlos Mendoza in June. Toronto, a World Series team last October, has collapsed into last place in the AL East, its lineup scuffling badly enough to make even a long-shot Lindor swing worth a former GM’s trade pitch.
Mets Ex-GM Proposes Trade of Francisco Lindor For 3-Time Gold Glove Shortstop