Francisco Lindor is now a wealthy man. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Mets and the All-Star shortstop have agreed to a 10-year, $341 million deal. It will be the third-largest contract in MLB history based on total value, trailing Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout ($426.5 million) and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts ($365 million).
This move comes after the Mets traded for Lindor during the offseason. Lindor was previously with the Cleveland Indians and became one of the top shortstops in baseball. However, the 2020 season was not one to remember for Lindor, batting .258 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 60 games. When Lindor first joined the Mets, he talked about possibly signing a long-term deal with the team.
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“I’m excited to be with the Mets organization,” he said. “I’m not against a long term. I’m not against it. It has to make sense of both sides.” According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Lindor will make a base salary of $22.3 million, meaning the Mets are committed to him $363.3 million over 11 seasons. The contract includes a no-trade clause and zero opt-outs.
Both sides met in the middle when it comes to contract negotiations. The Mets reportedly offered Lindor $300 million, while Lindor countered $385 million. Mets owner Steve Cohen then offered the 27-year-old $325 million over 10 seasons. Cohen then “removed all deferred money from the deal, making it richer in real-world value than the 14-year, $340 million contract Fernando Tatis Jr. recently signed with the Padres.”
Lindor recently talked about what he loves about the Mets and the city of New York. “It’s a city with a lot of opportunities to grow,” he stated. “The Mets are a team that a lot of people are excited about. The people are ready to see them win.” In the last four All-Star games, Lindor has won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards in this six-year career. He will be looked at as the driving force of getting the Mets back on track as they haven’t reached the playoffs since 2016, the same year Lindor led the Indians to a World Series appearance. During the 2016 postseason, Lindor recorded 16 hits, and six of those hits were in the World Series.
