NEW YORK – If the Mets can hire Francisco Lindor for an extension this spring, it will be among the major baseball stories to follow, as Opening Day approaches. New York acquired Cleveland’s All-Star shortstop in January, along with holder Carlos Carrasco. Lindor, 27, may become a free agent after the 2021 season.
The Mets indicated that they would be pleased to have Lindor’s services for a single season, while recognizing their desire to maintain their valuable acquisition over the long term. There is pressure on New York to strike a deal, considering it has given up two major league players (Amed Rosario and Andres Giménez) and two great prospects (right-handed Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene) in trade with Cleveland.
It’s easy to see why any team would want to retain Lindor, a generational talent at its peak that exudes charisma and star power. Despite posting the worst offensive numbers of his career (.258 / .335 / .415, 102 OPS +) during the short season of 2020, Lindor leads all the shortstops of the major leagues in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement (25.2) since his first full season at Majors in ’16. But for Mets in particular, the opportunity to solidify the position of premium shortstop – something they haven’t done since José Reyes left as a free agent after the 2011 season – must be a tempting possibility.
From 2012 to 20, the Mets ranked last in the Majors, with 101 fewer defensive runs saved on the shortstop. Internal defense has been a weakness for New York during this period, especially in the middle and on the left side. In this nine-year stretch, the defense of the Mets in second base (minus-90 DRS, last in MLB) and third base (minus-46, 27th in MLB) also left much to be desired. But in no position did they fight more than on the shortstop.
Not that Reyes was a defensive highlight during the first of his two stints in Queens. From 2003-11, he was below average with minus-3 DRS, and in ’11, he posted minus-14 DRS, a worse career at the time. However, he was a solid advocate at the beginning of his tenure, while producing offensive, and provided stability that the Mets failed to replace.
The post-Reyes era
After Reyes left, several players claimed the Mets shortstop title of the future. In the beginning, the apparent heir was Rubén Tejada, taciturn and defensive. However, Tejada did not perform and drew criticism for his conditioning and work ethic. He also lost significant time because of injuries. As a result, in 2013, veteran Omar Quintanilla managed to get most of the reps soon to New York.
Tejada’s problems paved the way for Wilmer Flores’s experiment. Instead of adding an experienced shortstop after the 13th season, the Mets entrusted the position to young Flores, who had played shorts earlier in his career in the Minor League. But at this point, he was mainly occupying the second and third. In 2015, despite being last in the DRS Majors in the shortstop with Flores taking most of the game, Mets still won the National League pennant. But after losing to the Royals in the World Series, they strengthened their position by hiring veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera.
In 2016, the first year of a two-year contract with a club option, Cabrera served primarily as a New York interbase and provided an upgrade on both sides of the ball. However, the Mets rehired Reyes that year and, at 17, he managed most of the playing time.
Reyes was a replacement for Rosario, the highly praised prospect that was drafted in August 2017 and ended up playing more shortstop games for the Mets (387) than anyone since Reyes. But Rosario’s defense has also become a problem, leading to talks about a possible move to the outside field. Despite taking a step forward in this direction during the second half of 19 and in 20, Rosario gave time to defender Giménez last season. Rosario and Giménez are now in Cleveland, leaving Ronny Mauricio, 19, as the best stop on the Mets farm system.
Lindor Impact
Now, the Mets have a chance to extend Lindor, the epitome of modern interbase that is a threat at the base and provides elite defense.
A two-time Gold Glove Award winner with the reach and instincts to make outstanding plays on a regular basis, Lindor has 46 DRS shortstop career since his debut with Cleveland in June 2015. His 42 DRS since 16 are fourth among the shortstops of MLB in that period. (Mets is at the bottom of this stretch, with a collective DRS -69 on the shortstop.)
A more recent metric, Outs Above Average, which is based on Statcast data, tells a similar story. Lindor has accumulated 36 OAA since the stat debuted before the 2017 season, which ranks third among shortstops, behind Nick Ahmed (53) and Andrelton Simmons (43). In the same period, the Mets charts had minus-38 OAA, the second lowest in the Majors, ahead of the Yankees (-41). In other words, Lindor’s defense was worth 74 outs more than the Mets’ shortstops over this four-season period.
It is worth mentioning that Lindor is also a significant update for the Mets in the attack, despite its disappointing 2020. From 2012 to 20, the Mets’ shortstops reached 0.255 / 0.311 / 0.375. Lindor, by comparison, is a .285 / .346 / .488 hitter. And he has more home runs in his Major League career (138) than Mets’ shortstops have hit since the start of the 2012 season (105).
Lindor also has three seasons with more than 30 home runs, while Cabrera’s 23 home runs in 2016 stand out for a Mets player in a single season, playing at least half of his games on the shortstop.
Punctually
At his introductory press conference last month, Lindor indicated that he is open to an extension with Mets, but prefers not to negotiate after the opening day.
“I never negotiated a contract during the season,” said Lindor at the time. “When it comes to a point in spring training, it’s time to enjoy the race and focus on winning, and that is the only thing I need to focus on. Not how much money I will receive, how much money I need to receive. It’s about focusing on what I have every day, my task. “
That means New York has about six weeks to strike a deal with Lindor or risk it hitting the open market. The four-time All-Star is believed to lead a $ 300 million global contract – hence Cleveland’s decision to negotiate it – and if anyone is in a position to meet the asking price, it is the new owner of the Mets, Steve Cohen.
But at least in 2021, Lindor will transform a position that has long been a weakness of the Mets into an enviable strength.