Francisco Lindor Drama Creates a Pipedream Yankees Trade Idea

This is already the summer of wild sports transactions, with the Boston Celtics sending one of the staples of their last championship run, Jaylen Brown, to the rival Philadelphia 76ers. The baseball world might see something close to that soon with what could be inner turmoil between the Mets' two biggest stars, and if that really is the case, the New York Yankees should pounce — even if it's just a pipe dream.

It's all hearsay for now, but according to WFAN legend Mike Francesa, there is a longstanding feud between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, and, as it stands, the shortstop could be the odd man out.

"I don't think there's any question the Mets are going to try very, very hard to trade Lindor," Francesa said on his podcast.

For years, the Wilpons stymied any potential deal between the Mets and Yankees. Who could forget Jay Bruce being untouchable in 2017? These are different times, though. The Wilpons are gone, the Mets have way more money, and they're not against making unpopular moves. The last few years of the Steve Cohen and David Stearns regime have proven that.

They clearly don't have soft spots for team staples and have been comfortable with letting the likes of Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso go. Stearns and Co. are not moved by what tugs at fans' heartstrings, so in the situation where Lindor is on the table and the Yankees have the clear best offer, maybe a deal can materialize.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) forces out New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

What a deal for Francisco Lindor could look like

Right now, Lindor, who still has one of the league's most lucrative contracts, is owed $32 million until 2031. That's still a lot of money, even in a world where the Aaron Judges and Sotos are clearing $40+ million AAV.

If the Yankees were to do it, not only would it have to be prospects such as George Lombard, Dax Kilby, or Carlos Lagrange that they'd have to send to Flushing, but the money would have to make sense, too. It could be an NBA-type deal where you offset money by dealing one big contract to another team, while taking on an expiring one.

Carlos Rodon is not quite an expiring deal, but the Yankees are free of him in 2028, and if there is no baseball season because of the lockout, that means his final season could conceivably be when the sport returns. The Yankees could add him to the deal.

New York Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodo — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) takes the ball to relieve pitcher Carlos Rodon (55) in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plus, shipping Lindor to the Bronx may even be the most desirable landing spot as far as keeping him out of the National League. Currently, many of the big spenders in baseball are NL teams, and it doesn't seem likely that the Mets would bolster the Dodgers, Padres, and Phillies in the short term. The Yankees may be the one team that can not only foot the bill but also keep him from hurting them unless there's a sequel to the 2000 World Series.

The relationship between Soto and Lindor is cold

Who knows if this Francesa report is actually true, and the two stars are still on bad terms, but one thing is for sure. Something was going on between them, and Steve Cohen admitted as much to Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on their podcast.

Francesa stands by his report. His sources seem to be from within the Mets themselves.

"Someone who I trust very much told me this started when the only one who did not call him when he came to the Mets was Lindor," Francesa continued. "And it kind of went from there/They've had their ups and downs, but I still hear it's not good. Now, Cohen addressed that when he did his interview and said, 'Oh, I hear it's much better now.' That's not what someone's telling me. So unless they're telling me something wrong, they're telling me that it's not any better. That's never going to be good, and it's time for Lindor to leave."

Juan Soto and Francisco Lindo — New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) talks to shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) before taking batting practice during a spring training workout at Clover Park. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If all of this is really genuine, it could be this perfect storm where the Mets feel like they are freeing up future money, cleansing their locker room of angst, and the Yankees finally clean up their shortstop follies. It does feel like a no-brainer type of deal if you're the Yankees.

It will just require Cohen to deal the last of that 2024 core, which captivated Mets fans and made them really angry in the process. Joe Benigno's heart may stop, and Cohen would need to avoid those back pages until they finally do win.

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