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PORT ST. LUCIE – Francisco Lindor, wearing his green shortstop glove, has finally deduced which terrain he belongs to for Monday’s practice at the Mets Spring Training Complex.
“It’s clear I haven’t locked it, so I have to figure that out,” Lindor said after the full team’s first practice.
Not locked either: its future.
Lindor’s arrival at camp has kicked the clock on a potential long-term overtime that will keep him with the Mets for the duration of his career. Lindor, 27, can become a free agent after this season.
Extension talks have yet to begin, according to Lindor – who reiterated his desire to complete those talks before opening day. Lindor’s negotiations with Cleveland were stalled last season, prompting the team to trade him to Carlos Carrasco at the Mets.
“We did not find the time [to negotiate] and I obviously have to get to know the organization, get to know the people and they have to get to know me, ”Lindor said. “If anything happens, we’ll see in the future, it’s between my agent and Sandy [Alderson, team president] and the rest of the staff. The conversations were nonexistent. It’s too early, I think.
Acting Managing Director Zack Scott said “the sooner the better” when asked about a potential timeline to start negotiations.
Lindor is well aware of the 14-year deal worth $ 340 million that shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. received from the Padres last week that he could use as a benchmark. Tatis is five years younger, but hadn’t even reached arbitration eligibility before agreeing to the deal.
“Tatis got an exceptional deal for him,” Lindor said. “I’m really happy for him. He deserves it, his family deserves it and it shows that the game is going in the right direction. There are two $ 300 million players on the same team [Manny Machado is the other], so the game is heading in the right direction.
“I’m happy for him and excited to see him play for the next 14 years. God willing, he stays healthy and that’s what he’s doing, and especially being in the National League this year, it will be fun to play against him, which I have never had the chance to play against. him.
Lindor rejected an offer from Cleveland that was worth more than $ 200 million. And he’s ready to be a free agent if he doesn’t hear the right Mets number.
“I’ve never been afraid of free will, so it’s not like I have to rush to sign a deal,” he said.
The Mets made Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf in the deal for Lindor and Carrasco, so the organization would prefer a long-term marriage with the shortstop, even in a free agent market to the position which could include names like Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Javy Baez and Trevor Story.
“Whenever you talk to a player about an extension you are looking to find that happy medium that makes sense for the player and the club,” Scott said. “You can’t force these things all the time. It takes two parties to try and make this work and if it doesn’t work for one you won’t get okay and that’s OK. You never enter a negotiation with an all-price attitude. You need to think about what is good for the present and the future of your club. “
Lindor has blamed offensively his mediocre 2020 season for changing his routine in the weight room; he says at the end of the season he was tired. Lindor downed .258 / .335 / .415 last season with eight homers and 27 RBIs in 60 games.
“I didn’t give my best in the weight room and it showed in the last week of the season I was tired,” he said. “His [working harder] during the season this year to prevent this from happening again.
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