NEW YORK: If the Mets can hire Francisco Lindor for an overtime this spring it will be one of the top baseball stories to follow as Opening Day approaches. New York acquired Cleveland’s All-Star shortstop in January, along with starter Carlos Carrasco. Lindor, 27, could become a free agent after the 2021 season.
The Mets have indicated they would be pleased to have Lindor’s services for a single season, acknowledging their desire to retain their prized long-term acquisition. There is pressure in New York to reach an agreement, as he resigned from two major league champions (Amed Rosario and Andres Giménez) and two major potentials (right-hander Josh Wolf and camper Isaiah Greene) in the trade with Cleveland.
It’s easy to see why any team would want to keep Lindor, a generational talent at the time that exudes charisma and star power. Despite posting the worst offensive numbers of his career (.258 / .335 / .415, 102 OPS +) during the short 2020 season, Lindor leads all major league places in FanGraphs ’Wins Above Replacement (25.2) since his first full season in the Majors of 16. But, in particular, for the Mets, the opportunity to consolidate the position of shortstop premium (something they have not done since José Reyes left as a free agent after the 2011 season) should be a tempting possibility.
From 2012-2020, the Mets ranked last in the Major with less-101 defensive runs saved in the short. The field defense has been a weak point for New York during this period, especially in the middle and on the left side. In this nine-year stretch, the Mets ’defense at second base (minus 90 DRS, last in MLB) and third base (minus 46, 27 in MLB) has also left a lot to be desired. But in no position have they fought more than in the short.
It wasn’t that Reyes stood out defensively during the first of his two stays in Queens. From 2003-11, he was below average with DRS minus-3 and on the 11th he posted DRS minus-14, the worst race of the time. However, he was a solid defender at the beginning of his tenure while producing offensively, and provided a short-lived stability that the Mets have been unable to replace.
The post-Kings era
After the departure of Reyes, several players have claimed the title of stopping the future of the Mets. At first, the heir was Rubén Tejada, with a defensive and cheerful attitude. However, Tejada did not behave and criticized his conditioning and work ethic. He also lost significant time due to injuries. As a result, in 2013, veteran Omar Quintanilla won the majority of representatives in summary for New York.
Tejada’s problems paved the way for Wilmer Flores’ experiment. Instead of adding an experienced pitch to the field after the 13th season, the Mets entrusted the position to the young Flores, who had played little at the start of his career in the Minor League. But at the time, it occupied mostly the second and third. In 2015, despite qualifying as last in the Major in DRS on the short field, with Flores getting most of the playing time, the Mets still won the National League pennant. But after losing to the Royals of the World Series, they propped up the position by signing veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera.
In 2016, the first year of a two-year contract with a club option, Cabrera served primarily as a New York distance field and provided an update on both sides of the ball. However, the Mets re-signed the aged Reyes that year, and on the 17th he got most of the playing time.
Reyes was a position marker for Rosario, the well-known prospect who was called up in August 2017 and ended up playing more games at the Mets field (387) than anyone since Reyes. But Rosario’s defense also became a responsibility, which led to talk of a possible move to the outside field. Despite taking a step forward in this direction during the last half of the 19th and 20th, Rosario gave time to the defensive-oriented Giménez last season. Both Rosario and Giménez are now in Cleveland, leaving 19-year-old Ronny Mauricio as the best prospect in the Mets farm system.
The impact of Lindor
Now, the Mets have a chance to expand on Lindor, the epitome of modern short film that is a threat ahead and provides elite defense.
A two-time Gold Glove Award winner with the range and instincts to make outstanding plays on a regular basis, Lindor has 46 DRS in the short run since debuting with Cleveland in June 2015. His 42 DRS since 16 occupy the fourth place among MLB shortstops in that span. (The Mets rank last in this stretch with a collective DRS of minus -69 at the short point).
A more recent metric, Outs Above Average, which is based on Statcast data, tells a similar story. Lindor has amassed 36 OAAs since the statistic was released before the 2017 season, which ranks third among the qualifiers, behind Nick Ahmed (53) and Andrelton Simmons (43). In that same period of time, the Mets short films have had minus-38 OAA, the second minus in the Majors, ahead only of the Yankees (minus-41). In other words, Lindor’s defense has been worth 74 more outings than the Mets shorts in this four-season period.
It’s worth noting that Lindor is also a significant improvement for the Mets on offense, despite its disappointing 2020. As of 2012-2020, the Mets short stops reached .255 / .311 / .375. In comparison, Lindor is a .285 / .346 / .488 lifetime batter. And he has more home runs in his Major League career (138) than the Mets shortcuts have achieved since the start of the 2012 season (105).
Lindor also has three seasons with more than 30 homers, while Cabrera’s 23 homers in 2016 are the maximum for a Mets player in a single season while playing at least half of his games on the short field.
On the clock
At his introductory press conference last month, Lindor indicated he was open to an overtime with the Mets, but would prefer not to negotiate after the opening day.
“I’ve never negotiated a contract during the season,” Lindor said at the time. “Once I get to a point in Spring Training, it’s time to enjoy the journey and focus on winning, and that’s the only thing I should focus on. Not how much money I will get, how much money I need to get. It’s about focusing on what I have every day, my job. ”
That means New York has about six weeks to reach an agreement with Lindor or risk reaching the free market. It is believed that four times All-Star will order a contract with a global value north of $ 300 million – hence Cleveland’s decision to change it – and if anyone is in a position to achieve its asking price, is the new owner of Mets, Steve. Cohen.
But at least in 2021, Lindor will turn a position that has long been a weakness for the Mets into an enviable strength.