2 weeks notice!
Time runs short for Lindor, Mets to reach deal before season
PORT ST. LUCIE – The million-dollar question around camp hasn’t changed since Francisco Lindor first put on a Mets uniform in the middle of February. Will he sign a long-term extension with the Mets?
Lindor said on Tuesday that contract negotiations have started, but right now they are “nothing serious.”
“We’re just talking,” he said. “We’ll see how everything goes. My agent (SportsMeter) is in charge of that. That’s between the front office and agent.”
The superstar shortstop, who is set to become a free agent after this season unless the Mets act quickly, came to the Amazin’s in a six-player trade with the Indians in early January. The Mets traded Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene in exchange for Carlos Carrasco and Lindor. Ever since, the buzz around Lindor’s future has swamped New York sports media.
Lindor made it clear when he arrived at spring training on Feb. 22 that he would not engage in contract negotiations once the regular season begins. He reiterated that point on Tuesday.
“Like I said earlier, I will not be negotiating during the season,” Lindor said, point blank. “I will go to free agency. If something carries on during the season, it’s not fair for me, it’s not fair for the team. I got to give everything I got into winning baseball games. So if it doesn’t happen in spring training, I will go to free agency. We’ll talk in November, December, whenever free agency starts.”
That puts a two-week deadline on Mets team president Sandy Alderson and acting GM Zack Scott to nail down an agreement with Lindor’s agency.
Lindor wouldn’t go into detail about the current phase of his contract negotiations beyond “we’re just talking,” but a source familiar with the negotiations told the Daily News that it’s still “early in the process.” And once extension discussions begin, the source said, they typically don’t take long.
“This is a little bit more personal,” Lindor said on why he is choosing to conceal every detail of extension talks with the Mets. “I know I kind of owe it to the people, but I’m sorry to all those that are expecting me to go out there and tell them everything. That’s just not how I am.”
The four-time All-Star said earlier this month that it was too soon to start contract talks because he was getting to know the organization and the club was still getting to know him. On Tuesday, the shortstop said he feels “very comfortable” with the Mets. He likes his teammates, the coaching staff and the athletic trainers and believes “everybody is on the right path.”
“I’m liking the organization,” he said. “I’m feeling more comfortable as we go through every day. This is a good workplace. I’m happy right now. So, we’ll see what happens. I’m blessed to be surrounded by a great group of guys.”
Besides the money (Lindor could end up with a deal worth $300 million or more), he said he values his family the most when considering a potential long-term deal that could affect his life for many years to come.
Meanwhile, a major life event hangs in the balance for Lindor while the Mets are in the early phase of his contract discussions. Lindor proposed to his now fiancee, Katia Reguero, in December. The couple also welcomed their first daughter in 2020. The next step for Lindor — a potential contract extension — will decide when and where he gets married, where his daughter grows up, and when his family can settle down.
“Wherever my family is comfortable, that’s what I value the most,” Lindor said. “I’m going to play the game wherever I am. . . I want my family to be happy. I want my family to be in a safe place. I knew they could be safe in Cleveland and I know they could be safe in New York. So we’ll see what happens.”