Should the Mets ship out their longest-tenured participant, shortstop Francisco Lindor? Mike Francesa definitely thinks so.
“I don’t think it’s a question the Mets are going to try very, very hard to trade Lindor,” Francesa, the previous WFAN sports talk-show host, stated on an episode of “The Mike Francesa Podcast.’
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Mets owner Steve Cohen pushed back on trade rumors in a recent episode of “The Show,” a New York Post podcast, although he did admit Lindor and fellow highly-paid star Juan Soto had points of their first season as teammates a 12 months in the past.
“I don’t see them going anywhere,” Cohen advised reporters Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “I believe strongly that these guys are getting along much better. I just don’t see that as an issue anymore.”
But Francesa nonetheless isn’t shopping for it.
“Everything I’ve heard all along is they don’t like each other,” Francesa stated. “Just like last year, there wasn’t any issues, nonsense. …I think the Mets are going to go into next year with Soto and (Carson Benge and AJ Ewing) in the outfield and then rebuild everything else.”
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Soto disputed the notion that he and Lindor didn’t get alongside final season
“There were no issues last year — at all,” Soto told The Athletic on Friday. “We didn’t have any beef or anything. Definitely, our relationship is getting better because it takes time.
“When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away.”
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Lindor has performed simply 34 video games this season after lacking two months with a strained left calf. He’s hit 4 dwelling runs and 10 RBIs whereas sporting a .216 batting common. In 4 of his 5 seasons with the Mets, he’s acquired MVP votes, together with a runner-up end in 2024.
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The Mets, 38-53, are anticipated to be sellers on the commerce deadline.
Lindor, 32, has 5 years and $162 million on his contract after this season. Trading a giant contract on the deadline isn’t uncommon for Cohen’s Mets. In 2023, they traded high-priced pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in change for prospects.
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