NY Mets Monday Morning GM: Francisco Lindor and signer’s remorse

Sep 8, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets short stop Francisco Lindor (12) sits in the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets short stop Francisco Lindor (12) sits in the dugout against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports
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Apr 30, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kam Nedd-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kam Nedd-USA TODAY Sports /

Francisco Lindor did his best to become embraced by New York Mets fans. He showed up to spring training with blue hair! What else must a man do to receive nothing but unconditional love?

Well, there’s a lot. You can hit. You can put up MVP numbers. You can lead the team to a championship all while leading the clubhouse there, too.

Like him or not, Lindor hasn’t lived up to his end of the lofty contract. Fortunately, it’s year one! He is still adjusting to New York; something all of us non-New Yorkers typically have to do whenever we visit. It’s similar to jetlag without the watch resetting.

There’s no hindsight look back as to whether the Mets made the right decision to extend him. They certainly did. They had no other choice. Instead of front office buyer’s remorse, I’m curious if there’s any signer’s remorse on Lindor’s behalf.

The Mets fans haven’t been what Francisco Lindor bargained for

From the first boos he heard from the fans, something about the Big Apple seemed to eat away at Lindor. I guess he wasn’t used to this. He probably grew up receiving nothing but praise for his baseball abilities. He was the kid on the team that batted .896 in little league and the only time he ever made an out was when a booger-eater in right field got lucky with a catch.

When the big fish from smaller ponds all hop into the ocean called Major League Baseball, they’re suddenly not as untouchable anymore. Lindor has had years to experience it. Apparently, it wasn’t until 2021 when he heard it from the hometown fans.

Lindor was outspoken from the start about the boos and how much he didn’t like them. He took it a step too far by giving the fans a thumbs down and convince teammates to join in. We don’t know for sure who the mastermind behind this devious plot to finish the season with Citi Field empty. His participation is enough culpability for him to receive a harsh sentence.

But enough about digits on a hand. The Mets and Lindor are going to be together for a good number of years. The sense I get: Lindor probably wishes it was somewhere a little more pleasant.

Apr 18, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) throws the ball into the stands in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) throws the ball into the stands in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Francisco Lindor didn’t choose the Mets but then he grabbed the money

We can look back at what led to the start of this relationship. Lindor was traded to the Mets, against his will. He didn’t come kicking and screaming. He seemed happy to get out of the situation the Cleveland Indians had dug themselves into.

Lindor quickly set a deadline for an extension. It was Opening Day or the end of the season. He wouldn’t listen to offers in the regular season.

The front office did the right thing. Was it the smart thing? Definitely not. After the season he has put together, Lindor would have needed to sign for much less. It would have still been an immensely large deal but certainly not as lucrative as it ended up.

I’m always curious about the psyche that goes on for athletes. Do they bet on themselves or do they take the money and hope they can at least put up a passable performance?

There was no way Lindor could logically bet on himself to have a good year in 2021. How many more millions would an MVP have gotten him? I think he got every penny he probably ever could.

I don’t like referencing Lindor’s paycheck as a reason to hold him to a higher standard. I lump him in with other veterans making good money. I am not opposed to holding him a bit more accountable than someone making as much in one year as he will in a month, though. With big contracts come even larger responsibilities.

Nobody—the Mets or Lindor—is at fault for the contract taking place. It was the best move either could do. Someone was likely to lose in the end.

Lindor may fall asleep at night wishing he was playing on a coastal town with adoring fans who never boo. It’s only natural for thoughts of “what if” to pop up.

Sep 5, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) reacts after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /

What if Francisco Lindor didn’t sign an extension with the Mets?

Dustin Hoffman famously asked, “…what would the world be like without Captain Hook?”

He was eaten by a crocodile clock moments later.

I’m going to ask a different question. It’s not nearly as existential. What if Lindor played out this season without an extension already in place?

There’s a simple ending to his story in New York. Lindor played poorly enough this year for the Mets to take the loss on the trade and move on. We can only speculate as to whether or not he might have performed differently knowing he had free agency looming. Because he does give effort, it’s not fair to say he’s phoning it in because he has money coming his way.

To his credit, Lindor shows up to do the job. He might not do it well but he never gets caught playing Solitaire at his desk or that really cool space-themed pinball game all of the kids used to fight over in my 10th grade web design class. Only one computer had it available.

The Mets would always have the option of the qualifying offer to extend his way in this scenario. This would have been tricky considering he made $22.3 million in 2021—his final year before his new contract kicked in. The qualifying offer number won’t be that high so Lindor would have settled for a lesser amount. Who knows? We won’t and that’s okay.

Next. Meet the darkest 2021 Mets timeline

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Lindor obviously wanted the money (who wouldn’t?) but the question remains about whether or not he’s willing to accept New York. It may take a little more time before he gets accustomed to things. If able to help the team win a championship, the transition becomes simple.

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