3 reasons why the Mets shouldn't entertain the idea of trading Francisco Lindor

MLB Network's MLB Now show spent some time Tuesday on a topic that is sure to get fans of the New York Mets talking. While most Mets fans have been worried about the possibility of Pete Alonso being traded, host Brian Kenny suggested that the Mets should think about trading a different star, shortstop Francisco Lindor.

During his conversation with former Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, Kenny wondered aloud whether the Mets and president of baseball operations David Stearns should look to move on from Lindor if they could find a willing trade partner.

Much of Kenny's argument centered around the money still owed to Lindor, which is admittedly sizeable. Including this year, Lindor has eight years and $256 million remaining on the 10-year, $321 million extension he signed in 2021. Kenny also downplayed Lindor's hitting stats since joining the Mets, despite the protestations of O'Dowd, who pointed out, much to Kenny's continued disbelief, that Citi Field is an extremely unfriendly park for hitters. Kenny broached the question, but didn't seem to have done the homework required to come to an informed conclusion.

For many reasons, the Mets would be crazy to trade Lindor. Let's get into three of them now, while hoping that Stearns and Steve Cohen agree.

1) The Mets need Francisco Lindor's leadership

Lindor has gotten off to an awful start this year, but even when he's not hitting, he's still extremely valuable to the Mets. His glove is still among the best in the game, but even more important than that is the leadership he provides in the clubhouse.

Lindor is a persistently positive presence on a team, and in a market, that doesn't normally allow that. The media in New York can be ruthless, especially when a player is slumping, but Lindor brings a smile to the ballpark every day. That may sound quaint, but it's part of the reason the Mets have stayed afloat after an 0-5 start.

Positivity begets positivity, which may be why Mets fans took the nearly unheard-of step of giving Lindor a standing ovation three weeks ago to show their support through his struggles. Phillies fans overcame their own reputation to do the same last year for a struggling Trea Turner, and it worked.

Lindor's ovation was spearheaded in part by Cohen, which shows that if the Mets owner is still supporting Lindor through this rough spell (and he's the one signing his checks, after all), shouldn't the rest of us?

Lindor is beloved by his teammates. You can see it in every interaction on the field and in the locker room. Take that away and you might as well push the reset button on the whole team and start a multi-year rebuild. And no Brian Kenny, the Mets shouldn't do that.

2) Lindor's contract makes trading him completely impractical

You would think that saying Lindor is paid too much to be traded is precisely the reason he should be traded, but that's not how baseball works. Very few teams are willing to spend that kind of money on a single player, let alone acquire a contract like that in the middle of the season.

Kenny thinks that the Mets should trade Lindor because he's not worth the money, but he forgets a few things. First off, Steve Cohen doesn't need to save money. It sounds absurd to those of us that have mortgages to pay and kids to feed, but Cohen could probably find $341 million in his couch cushions. It's gross, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Secondly, let's say that the Mets could find someone to trade for Lindor. The deal would almost certainly play out in much the same way that last year's Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander trades did, where the Mets paid the bulk of both aging pitchers' salaries in order to get something of value in return. If that's the case, you're giving up an All-Star caliber player for what, a prospect or two? And you'd still have to pay at least a large chunk of the money owed to him.

We've seen multiple star players each of the last few offseasons remain unsigned all the way through the spring, and when they do finally sign, it's for much less than they were looking for. That's because most teams, with few exceptions, are willing to hand out such lavish contracts anymore, and honestly, it's for good reason. Most exorbitant long-term deals haven't looked so great in hindsight. Would the Mets give Lindor that kind of money if they could do it over? Probably not. But what's done is done, and trading Lindor away now would be trying to turn two wrongs into a right. He may not be worth over $250 million, but he's worth a heck of a lot more than whatever the Mets would get in return.