Francisco Lindor Is the Last Player Mets Should Think About Trading

There has been some online speculation about whether the Mets will consider trading Francisco Lindor. Owner Steve Cohen has already shot that idea down, and it is the correct approach for the organization going forward.

Jul 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a home run and celebrates with center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Mets are trending towards sellers' territory, and it feels like there isn't much David Stearns won't listen to as an offer before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The future of the team is in flux after manager Carlos Mendoza was fired in June, with David Stearns having the remainder of his contract to try and fix the mess this team has become.

Rentals like Freddy Peralta are definitely getting shopped, while the decision about what to do with players with extended club control like Luke Weaver is an ongoing conversation. Most fans and experts agree that the club's core players, including the starting outfield of Juan Soto, Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing alongside starters Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, should be off limits.

That common sense has not extended to star shortstop Francisco Lindor, one of two players under contract beyond 2028 alongside Soto. Jon Heyman of the New York Post added fuel to the fire on Sunday with a tweet listing the Mets' players he wouldn't move, notably omitting Lindor, which generated an online firestorm among fans and pundits.

Time for Mets deadline sale to begin. Everyone but Ewing, Benge, McLean, Scott and Soto should be made available

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 5, 2026

The tweet was nonsensical since owner Steve Cohen told Heyman himself during a podcast appearance on Heyman's own show that Lindor isn't going anywhere. Cohen likely created some of the controversy surrounding Lindor when he revealed in a wide-ranging interview that there was friction between the Mets' two superstars, which has since been resolved.

Why the Mets would be foolish to even entertain Francisco Lindor

In the rush of fans eager to dissect what went wrong with this Mets team, most have assumed the roster needs a full-scale rebuild. That is factually incorrect, with a lot of the offensive core already in place if Bo Bichette opts into his contract for next season.

While Stearns made some bad moves constructing the roster, this group has also been victimized by a rash of injuries to its stars. Soto missed a few weeks with a calf issue, and Lindor was sidelined for two months with his own calf strain, making this past week the first time since the beginning of April the Mets had their top three hitters together for more than a handful of games.

Lindor is unquestionably a part of the solution as an All-Star shortstop capable of hitting 25 home runs, driving in 90 runs, and playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. Finding a replacement for that kind of player isn't easy, and we saw the Mets couldn't maintain their level of play when one of the most palatable fill-ins (Bichette) covered for Lindor's absence.

Even if you are concerned about the fact that Lindor turns 33 in November and has five more years on his contract, he has begun to look more like himself since returning from the IL. Lindor has collected 8 hits in his past 31 at-bats, good for a .258 clip, with two home runs, five RBI and six runs scored in the past seven games, which should be a sign he is heating up.

Teams that trade superstars often end up on the short end of a deal, as no combination of players can adequately replace a star's production in aggregate. Consider the Mets' initial deal for Lindor, where they traded Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, and two prospects to Cleveland.

Gimenez played well for a few years, earning an All-Star appearance and a contract extension, before being traded to Toronto in a separate trade prior to the 2025 season. Rosario lasted 2.5 years with the Guardians before being traded away, and neither prospect the Mets dealt, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene, is in affiliated baseball today.

The players the Mets dealt to Cleveland, Rosario and Gimenez, who actually played for the Guardians, generated 23.4 Wins Above Replacement in 6.5 combined seasons. Lindor has generated 27.9 Wins Above Replacement himself in one fewer season, making the Mets clear winners in that trade to this point.

Lindor's market value is also significantly lower this season because of his injuries and the remainder of his contract, which goes for five more years and pays him $135 million in present-day dollars after this season. Not many clubs are positioned to absorb that kind of salary and be willing to give the Mets top young talent for that privilege, meaning the Mets wouldn't have a bidding war here to justify the massive return necessary to move on from Lindor.

Cohen has paid down salary before to expedite trades, notably in 2023 with the midseason deals for Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. The big difference here is that those two pitchers weren't going to be a helpful part of a 2024 season that was expected to be a transition year, which is not at all what the Mets are hoping to do in 2027 with Soto in his prime alongside talented young players.

If getting top talent back requires paying down a significant portion of Lindor's salary, there is no point for Cohen to do that when he can simply keep Lindor. The Mets' best chance to win in 2027 is with Lindor and Soto in the same lineup, not with Soto and a collection of lottery tickets you hope become the next Lindor.