Red Sox Should Be Watching Francisco Lindor-Mets Situation Very Closely

The first half of the 2026 Major League Baseball season is officially over and the Boston Red Sox are right in the mix for a potential playoff spot.

Well, technically, the Red Sox played their 81st game of the season a few weeks ago. But the first half wrapped up in general on Sunday with clubs heading to the All-Star break. For the Red Sox, they won't play again until July 17. They won't have any breathing room out of the gate with a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

With Boston riding a nine-game winning streak, the Red Sox are just a half-game out of a playoff spot at 46-48. At this point, we're officially three weeks away from the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline. Despite the Red Sox missing their No. 1 overall pitcher in Garrett Crochet and No. 1 overall offensive weapon in Roman Anthony, they have firmly put themselves in a position to buy and the obvious option would be a right-handed big bat. Arguably, the team that Boston should be circling right now is the very one the club just swept over the weekend: the New York Mets.

Jul 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) gestures after hitting an RBI double in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week, conflicting rumors circulated about the potential availability of five-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor. WFAN's Mike Francesa stoked the flames and said New York is "trying to trade him." The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal shut the idea down.

"With all due respect to Mike, he is not a beat reporter, and I haven't seen this from any of the beat reporters," Rosenthal said.

After the Red Sox swept the Mets on Sunday, Lindor spoke to the media after the game about a wide range of topics, including his costly error that kept Boston alive in the ninth inning.

Francisco Lindor boots a potential game-ending double play and doesn't get any outs pic.twitter.com/j1oVOoFv3j
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 12, 2026

Will Sammon of The Athletic pointed out before the game that Lindor declined to comment when asked about the possibility of using his trade veto power this summer, if New York were to try to move him. Joel Sherman of The New York Post also pointed out that Lindor declined to comment on the matter before the contest.

If Lindor is open to a deal, he's the player Boston should go out and get. He's a superstar, to say the least, and is just 32 years old. After the 2026 season, he has five seasons left on his 10-year, $341 million deal, worth just over $32 million per year. Reports surfaced earlier in the summer indicating that Boston was willing to take on money in a deal. The 2026 season hasn't been great for him due to injury, but this is a guy who was a 5.8-WAR player in 2025, a 6.8-WAR player in 2024, a 6.1-WAR player in 2023, and a 5.4-WAR player in 2022.

Lindor dealt with an injured calf earlier in the season, but he was very dependable over the last four years in New York. He never played in fewer than 152 games over the last four seasons. Over the last three seasons, Lindor has had at least 31 homers, 86 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases each year. Imagine that type of production in the middle of the order for Boston?

If the 32-year-old is available, he's the exact player you go out and target if you're Craig Breslow and the Red Sox's front office. With the way the Red Sox's rotation is pitching, if you could add a bat like Lindor's this summer, we're not just talking about a club that could make a push for a playoff spot, but a potential World Series contender, especially if Crochet and Anthony can return.

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