Bad Bunny's Alleged Francisco Lindor Support Gets Denied by Mets

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There there are many New York Mets players competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, including Juan Soto (who is playing for the Dominican Republic), Nolan McLean (who is playing for the United States), Clay Holmes (also playing for Team USA), and Mark Vientos (who is playing for Nicaragua), one notable name who isn't competing is star shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Lindor has been a mainstay for Team Puerto Rico in the past. However, news broke on February 6 that Lindor (and Houston Astros superstar Carlos Correa) aren't competing in this year's WBCbecause of a lack of insurance coverage, as there are strict rules regarding eligibility for coverage in international baseball competitions.
The 32-year-old Mets star infielder addressed not being able to represent Puerto Rico by saying, "I feel deeply sorry for the fans of Puerto Rico. This hurts more than many would realize. As an athlete, there is no greater pride than representing your country, and not being able to do so leaves a void in my heart," with a February 5 Instagram story post.

Reports Suggest Mets Denied Bad Bunny's Attempt to Cover Francisco Lindor's Insurance
In the wake of this news about Lindor and Correa's WBC insurance woes, it surfaced that some unknown investor was willing to cover their insurance costs so that they could compete for Team Puerto Rico.
Then, on February 7, former MLB Player Carlos Baerga asserted on his "Me Gustan Los Deportes Podcast" that Puerto Rican music sensation Bad Bunny (who just performed at the Super Bowl LX halftime show) is the one who offered to cover Lindor and Correa's insurance so they could compete in the World Baseball Classic.
Yet, both the Mets and the Astros reportedly denied Bad Bunny's support, according to Baerga, which means the two superstars still won't be competing.
Music artist Bad Bunny, who is set to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, reportedly paid for the insurance of Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. However, neither the #Astros or the #Mets granted permission for the players to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic,… pic.twitter.com/Bv44saEM53
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) February 7, 2026
While Baerga's initial report has been discussed by other members of the baseball community, it's important to know that it hasn't been confirmed and therefore could not be the complete truth.
But if it is true, it's strange to see that the Mets would keep Lindor away from competing.
Read more: Insider Reveals Why Mets Were 'Surely Out' on Framber Valdez
Then again, the Mets lost star Puerto Rican closer Edwin Diaz for the entire 2023 season after he suffered a complete patellar tendon tear in his right knee while celebrating after a game in the last World Baseball Classic, which perhaps went into this alleged decision by New York.
It will be interesting to see whether more information about Bad Bunny's alleged support surfaces.
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Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.