Lindor: ‘Of course’ buddy Baez will be back with Mets

Francisco Lindor wants his childhood best friend playing up the middle with him for the long haul. Javy Baez is “of course” a part of the Mets’ future, Lindor said Wednesday evening. After all, the team’s billionaire owner Steve Cohen has the fat wallet to make his $341-million shortstop’s dream become a reality.

Lindor, the highest-paid shortstop in baseball, acknowledged with a wide grin that Cohen has the money to afford both Puerto Rican infielders on long-term deals.

“I know Javy does fit in what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Lindor said. “He’s a winner. He plays the game as hard as he can, day in and day out. He gives it his best — and he’s my boy too, that helps. But at the end of the day, I know what he’s capable of doing, we’ve all seen it. His approach has been outstanding, and he’s definitely helped us win a couple of games in September for sure.”

There are a range of other factors besides Lindor’s support that will determine whether the Mets re-sign Baez.

Though he has been playing second base, Baez this winter will join a super class of freeagent shortstops that features Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. How other teams slot Baez into that class will determine his contract.

“El Mago” has certainly driven his value up during his short time in Queens. After getting out to a slow start in August, Baez has been a standout bat for the Mets. Over his last 28 games, he’s hitting .347 with a 1.050 OPS. His recent, previously unheard-of patient at-bats have led to a .426 onbase percentage in that stretch. On the season, Baez has a 119 wRC+ and a 3.7 WAR.

This year is shaping up to be Baez’s second-best season in his eight-year career. And if he continues being a selective hitter to end the year, significantly decreasing his brutal swings and misses at the plate, Baez could convince teams that his free-swinging days are behind him — leading to a superstar-level contract.

Reports have indicated the 28-year-old Baez could demand anywhere from a lowend of $125 million over five or six years, to a high-end pushing $200 million over seven or eight years, per SNY’s John Harper. If it’s presumed Baez’s agents at Wasserman will demand at least $180 million — the Cubs’ extension offer that Baez reportedly turned down before the 2020 season — Cohen will be shelling out at least $521 million between Lindor and Baez over the next several years.

Whether the team’s barren front office decides to keep Baez in Queens long-term, though, is a question that won’t be answered until the Mets brass is actually assembled.

ASSISTANT PITCHING COACH MEINHOLD QUITS

Employees in the front office are anxious about an offseason shakeup, which led to one coach leaving the club while he’s getting interest.

Ricky Meinhold has left the Mets organization to explore other opportunities, sources told the Daily News on Thursday.

Meinhold, 35, was promoted to assistant pitching coach alongside Jeremy Accardo in January, while retaining his previous role as minor-league coordinator.

He was recently in the mix for Director of Player Development for a team, according to a source familiar with his departure.

Meinhold was hired by then-GM Brodie Van Wagenen in Dec. 2019 as the team’s minor-league pitching coordinator. He worked in the Cardinals organization beginning in 2014 as a professional scout and a pitching development analyst.

When hired, Meinhold was acclaimed by his peers for being a great communicator who can coach young pitchers with a focus on data science and analytics.

Meinhold was tasked with handling two jobs at once, a substandard situation that one source called “a mess.”