NY Mets: Catching up with all the pieces in the Carlos Carrasco, Francisco Lindor trade

Francisco Lindor

For whatever reason, be it trouble settling into a new team, city, and fanbase, or the added pressure of one of the richest contracts in sports, Lindor struggled mightily in the beginning of his first season with the New York Mets. He is currently on the 10-day injured list with a strained oblique, and to this point in the season, hitting only .228, a number that has actually spiked in the recent past compared to how he opened the season at the plate. Frustratingly to Mets fans early on, it felt like Lindor would always find himself up at the plate in important RISP situations and fail to convert. Mets manager Luis Rojas has persisted in batting him in the top of the lineup and one couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him as he struggled to produce.

Positively, Lindor has managed to keep a fantastic attitude. It seems that despite his lack of performance on the field, his leadership ability has been a tremendous boost to the team, and the way he carries himself, even when struggling, has him worthy of being a  role model. Despite his early disappointments at the plate, Lindor has played a gold glove caliber shortstop and has actually been heating up at the dish of late. Before landing on the injured list, Lindor was hitting .348 with 7 RBIs in his last seven games. He is certainly trending upward, highlighted by a game in June where he produced 5 RBIs, including two home runs to provide the entirety of the Mets offense. In my opinion, it is truly too soon to judge Lindor’s career as a Met, and considering just how badly he wants to contribute and help bring a World Series title to Flushing, Mets fans should be grateful that he is signed on to be a Met for the next 10 years.

Carlos Carrasco

Fortunately for the New York Mets, Carlos Carrasco is signed for the next two seasons, through the year 2023. Unfortunately for the Amazins’, Carrasco hasn’t thrown an inning at Citi Field, or any other MLB ballpark this season. While running sprints to exercise during spring training this season, the always reliable Carrasco tore his right hamstring. What initially was a six to eight-week diagnosis, with an expected return date of April or May, has now been an injury that still has him sidelined as the month of August approaches. Luckily, the day may soon be here that we get to see Carrasco take the mound for the MLB Mets, who can use all the men they can get to fill out the injury-riddled starting pitching rotation. Just the other day, on July 25th, Carrasco “aced” his rehab assignment, throwing three scoreless innings for the Mets AAA Syracuse, striking out six batters, and walking none. While unfortunate that this injury ended up having about a three-month setback from the initial diagnosis, the Mets still managed to hold onto first place in his absence and maybe receiving a freshly rested arm to support the starting pitching rotation for the second half of the season and the playoffs (fingers crossed).

Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario had quietly been the opening day shortstop for the Mets the last three seasons. Signed as an amateur free agent back in 2012, Rosario spent four seasons in the Mets minor league system before being called up to the MLB in 2017. Rosario fringed on being a five-tool player, with enough speed to steal up to 15 bases a season and enough power in his bat to hit about ten home runs in a season. Rosario has been his typical self this year, hitting at just about his career mark of a .267 batting average and on pace to hit about ten home runs. An everyday starter, Rosario has also been a plus fielder, with the added flexibility of now playing the outfield for Cleveland as well as his usual shortstop position. He has tended to be slotted number two in the Cleveland batting order, an especially important spot, just ahead of AL MVP runner-up Jose Ramirez.

Andres Gimenez

Andres Gimenez broke out as a rookie in 2020. Considered a near “elite defender”, Gimenez also swung his bat well making the most of his more limited playing time, hitting .263 and adding some home runs to go with it. When the Lindor trade initially happened, although undoubtedly a deal in favor of the Mets, the hardest part for me to accept was having to let go of the 22-year-old Andres Gimenez. This year has been a different story.

Gimenez is currently with another former Met, Wilson Ramos, on the Cleveland Indians AAA team, the Columbus Clippers. Gimenez has taken 248 at-bats this season. Only about one-third of those at-bats have been at the Major League level. In those 78 at-bats with the MLB Indians, Gimenez has only hit .179. It must be difficult to get settled in with such limited opportunities. When the MLB playing time has come, Gimenez has been playing almost solely as a shortstop, not a second baseman, setting the table for a position battle with his companion Rosario. At only 22 years old, the Indians surely would have optimistic long-term plans for the prospect. The Indian’s current starting second baseman Cesar Hernandez is 31 years old, hitting .227 this year, and on a one-year contract. The less financially flexible Indians may see Gimenez as an appropriate replacement for the future.

Josh Wolf

The 20-year-old right-handed pitching prospect is ranked as the number ten prospect in the Cleveland organization. Wolf, a 2019 second-round draft pick of the New York Mets is currently a member of the Indians Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats. MLB.com gives the pitcher a 2023 MLB eta. Despite receiving a 60 grade on his fastball and curveball (20-80 scale), and having a 97 mph plus fastball, Wolf has struggled this season in the minors. A starting pitcher, Wolf, through 41.2 innings pitched has a 5.83 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. The pitcher does strike out players efficiently, but will surely need to improve his performance and statistics to continue his career.

Isaiah Greene

Greene is the number 19 ranked prospect in the Cleveland organization. The outfielder is only 19 years old, with a 2024 MLB eta. Most noted for being a great athlete, Greene was drafted in the second round by the Mets in 2020. This season, Greene’s first as a professional athlete, he is tearing up the Arizona Complex League Rookie ball with a .343 batting average and .529 slugging percentage.

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