Steve Cohen gets honest about role in bringing Francisco Lindor to Mets

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen downplayed his role in bringing star shortstop Francisco Lindor to Queens.

Dec 12, 2024; Flushing, NY, USA; New York Mets owner Steve Cohen speaks to the media during a Juan Soto introductory press conference at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The talk of the baseball world over the past four or so months has centered around the New York Mets winning the Juan Soto sweepstakes by signing him to a 15-year, $765 million deal in December.

While this absolutely massive deal has drastically changed the trajectory of the Mets' franchise for the next decade-plus, no team can win with just one player. Ever since Steve Cohen became the Mets' owner in September 2020, his front office has made several signings that have turned the Mets into World Series contenders.

Read more: Francisco Lindor's 4-word message on Juan Soto's Mets contract speaks volumes

Arguably the most important among these is the 10-year, $341 million contract extension that superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor signed with the team in March 2021 — a signing that now seems like a bargain, given what Lindor has meant to the team over the past few seasons.

3/31/2021 Francisco Lindor signs a 10-year, $341 million contract extension with the Mets. pic.twitter.com/bm1mpvMdVN

— This Day in Mets History (@NYMhistory) March 31, 2024

Lindor was featured in a March 27 article from GQ Sports. At one point in the article, Cohen (who had only been the Mets' owner for about six months) downplayed the role he had in bringing Lindor to Queens.

“I don’t make player decisions,” Cohen is quoted as saying. “I had just taken over the team, we thought Francisco was a great ball player with a great personality, and we had an opportunity.”

When discussing Lindor's struggles in his first season with the Mets and whether playing in a big market for the first time might have been affecting him, Cohen said, “We never talked about it. But look, it’s not easy to make the transition from a small market to a bigger market with that big contract, to live up to the hype, right? An adjustment period is not unusual at all.”

With Juan Soto in the fold now, Francisco Lindor believes that the Mets have "a postseason team” https://t.co/KiwnFE88ON pic.twitter.com/LJpGBFRZaR

— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) March 27, 2025

Lindor has proven time and time again that Cohen and the Mets were right to invest that $341 million in him. Now all there's left to do is help the team hoist a World Series trophy.