The first blockbuster move the New York Mets made with Steve Cohen at the helm was trading for Francisco Lindor. The Mets made a statement that they were for real by trading for one of the best shortstops in baseball in the middle of his prime.
Cohen then found a way to extend LIndor on a massive 10-year deal worth $341 million. Lindor was the highest paid shortstop in the game, and was going to be one of the faces of this franchise for the next decade.
Lindor didn't end up being the only player extended in this deal, as the Cleveland Guardians just extended Andres Gimenez on a seven-year deal worth $106.5 million. Gimenez is now a cornerstone in Cleveland which is something I did not expect to happen. With this extension, this trade becomes even more of a win-win trade.
Mets trade for Francisco Lindor now an even better fit for both teams
This trade sent Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in exchange for Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene. The Mets got the pieces to help them win now, while Cleveland got assets in exchange for players they weren't going to pay to keep.
Why this trade has been so great for the Mets doesn't need much of an explanation. After a rough first season in New York, Lindor re-established himself as one of the best shortstops in the game after slashing .270/.339/.449 with 26 home runs and 107 RBI. He played in every game but one and finished ninth in the NL MVP voting.
Like Lindor, Gimenez had a brutal first season in Cleveland and even spent substantial time in the minors. The young second baseman bounced back from that rough first season and had a career year, slashing .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI. He was an all-star, won a Gold Glove, and finished sixth in the AL MVP balloting after helping lead Cleveland to an unlikely playoff berth.
Not only was Gimenez great, but Rosario led the league with nine triples and smacked 180 hits this past season. Rosario still has his faults but has developed into a nice player for Cleveland.
Overall, it's hard to not see this as even more of a win-win after Cleveland found a way to extend Gimenez. The Mets got the best player in the deal without a doubt in Lindor, but Cleveland has a 24-year-old second baseman to build around for the next seven years.