The chances of the Mets extending shortstop Francisco Lindor before his deadline on Thursday appear slim. In further unwelcome news for the Mets, it also doesn’t look as if they’ll prevent outfielder Michael Conforto from reaching free agency next winter.
While Conforto hasn’t set a season-opening deadline for negotiations, the Boras Corporation client and the Mets never came close to reaching an extension during spring training, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. As a result, “there is a much better chance” that Conforto will test free agency than not after the season, according to Puma.
As things stand, Conforto looks as if he’ll reach the open market as one of the premier hitters available. Conforto, who just turned 28 on March 1, has been a consistently above-average offensive player and sometimes a force since he debuted in 2015. The former 10th overall pick owns a lifetime line of .259/.358/.484 (127 wRC+) with 118 home runs across 2,501 plate appearances. Last year, albeit just a 60-game campaign, was the best yet on a per-PA basis for Conforto, who took 233 trips to the plate and slashed .322/.412/.515 with nine homers. He benefited from an unsustainable .412 batting average on balls in play – up 107 points from his career .305 mark – but still posted an elite .401 expected weighted on-base average and finished 13th in the majors in wRC+ (157).
Along with his offensive prowess, Conforto has shown himself to be a competent defender in the bigs. While he has been out of place in center field (minus-15 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-4.3 Ultimate Zone Rating), it has been a much different story in the corners. Between left and right, Conforto has notched 17 DRS and a 9.6 UZR in just over 3,700 innings of work.
Considering Conforto’s well-rounded game, not to mention his relative youth, he should do rather well on his next deal. A deal worth $100MM or more may be within reach if he continues to produce this year, but it remains to be seen if it will be New York or another club that ponies up for him.
Let Lindor and Conforto both hit free agency. Some other players that are just as good will happily take the millions of dollars these guys are squabbling over. 10 years 325 million was a fair offer.
That was a really good offer. I cant see what other team is going to drop that much money who arent already sitting on big contracts.
If I’m the Mets I’d let him go to free agent and then talk with Boras
You got that right.
I honestly think Lindor cares more about the years and less about the money. Most mega contracts are 10+ years. I know Lindor is a little older than some of the recent signings, but I think he wants 2 or 3 extra years.
Besides, he knows 325 is going to be there next offseason anyway. Why should he rush to sign?
Cause if he gets hurt that 325 million is zero… plus if agreement between players and owners isn’t ratified he might have to settle for way less if there is lockout or holdout..
@gcg27 I don’t buy that narrative unless it’s a freak career-ending injury which seems unlikely. He’s going to get paid. The Mets may even end up paying him more. If your goal is to bet on yourself in FA (as it is for so many players these days), then what’s the harm in asking for a mega deal you likely won’t get? If the Mets offer it, he’ll accept. If they don’t, he’ll likely get more than the 325 as a FA whether by the Mets or someone else.
If he has a down year, $325M is off the table for sure. 10 years is the Max length he will get as well no matter what. Unless he wins the NL MVP or he is instrumental in the Mets winning the World Series, he may never see $325M again. Huge risk by Lindor with very little upside if you ask me. Chances are better that he loses $50M+ off his next offer vs. getting an extra $50M tacked on to the $325M. In addition to Seager, Correa & Story, both Seimen & Simmons are free agents again next year too so there is plenty of quality ‘inventory’ available for SS needy teams in 2022. Couple that with the uncertainty of COVID’s impact on 2021 revenues along with a new CBA to be negotiated (and possible work stoppage) and the deck sure seems to be stacked against Lindor and his chances of even sniffing $325M at the end of the season, let alone an offer more than that. His agent is advising him poorly; they should have taken this offer and run with it.
You make great points; I am not upset at all that he has not signed; well, I hoped we got a deal done; but you are right; we will have plenty of options and if we dont work out a deal he needs to play his ass off to try to get the contract that he wants which is a win for the Mets.
What risk? Other teams with deep pockets will jump thru hoops next winter to snare Lindor.
He’d be foolish to give up that “lottery ticket” now.
Thats a big gamble that Lindor is taking, considering he didn’t hit that well in 2020. Or there is always a chance for injury. OR Mets get a better deal on Baez/Correa.
Thats a big gamble that Lindor is taking, considering he didn’t hit that well in 2020. Or there is always a chance for injury. OR Mets get a better deal on Baez/Correa.
Because if he gets hurt or badly hurt than he can kiss away 325 millions dollars goodbye. The insurance he has will not come close to that amount. That is why you sign contract now. Free agents have rejected large amounts to settle for less than half the amount in free agent.
I’m not trying to be snippy…is 325m really going to be there and from whom? We saw the Mets quickly pivot from JT when he didn’t sign early in FA, so I’m not sure the Mets are going to just leave the 325 on the table (nor should they) and after the mets, which other teams have 325m to drop? I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the supply of SS is higher than the demand next off season.
Mike Puma and several others on the NYPost staff are RARELY accurate. I wonder sometimes if they simply make stuff up to meet some deadline.
Examples?
Yes.
Cohen is back into a corner.He has to sign Lindor or he loses the trust of the fan base,the players and next years Free Agents
Not at all. Most Mets fans feel that Cohen’s 10/$325M offer is more than fair, if not an overpay to begin with. The last thing Mets fans want is Robinson Cano part 2, which the last 3 years of this deal will amount to be. So long as the Mets sign one of the big SS’s next year (Seager, Correa, Story or Lindor), they will be fine with them not extending Lindor.
I DONT THINK HES IN ANY CORNER; HES SHOWING THAT HE HAS LIMITS; AND THAT IS BEING SMART; You cannot just give an open check to a player; lets see what happens.
Maybe it’s not just the money, these guys want to go to free agency and pick their team!
Does this mean I don’t want to spend what’s in my wallet? Or does it mean I have a plan?
I’ll let you guys decide while I keep making BILLIONS !!!
This Michael Kay’s ghost account? Funny you don’t say much about Domingo German’s closed fist of affection.
Cohen is smart why overpay when you don’t have to. Lindor is not worth $385 million over 12 years.
So many free agent options in 2022.
They will all want more from Uncle Stevie than they will from other teams.
Yes, he made a bad mistake with that Lindor offer.
Agents depend on large market teams setting the new salary scale. Having an egotistical, desperate to please newbie in NYC guarantees that no player is signing there without a massive overpay…..and that includes his present players when their contract are up – a la Conforto.
While this is unsurprising, it is maddening.
The cost is passed onto the fans andone way or another we will pay. Cohen is rich but rich guys don’t get rich by losing money. I haven’t been to a big league game in years. It costs a month of groceries.
I want to shop at your grocery store!
Welcome to the big leagues Mr. Cohen.
From my perspective, either both players think they can do better in the winter, they trying to force more out of Cohen, or they are not interested in staying.
Does anyone know Lindor’s preferred spot (all else being equal)?
I very much doubt Lindor will tell anyone where he would prefer to play. Why give up leverage?
That makes since but in practice a players preferred landing spot does have a way of getting out.
Boras will do whatever he can to obstruct efforts to extend his clients. It is hard to imagine he generates enough additional money for a right fielder to justify not locking him into a long term deal in NY and avoiding the risk of serious injury this season. Of course that would assume he cared about what was best for his client.
I dont like Boras, but if ML teams are still stupid enough to have their owners negotiate with him, then there is every reason for brinkmanship.
Cohen, based upon his tweets on Lindor, seems right in negotiations, ready to be plucked.
Cohen, for some reason, is negotiating against himself.
Boras clients have signed extensions. Why would you think he doesn’t care about what is best for his client?
Not at all true. Jered Weaver gave the Angels a huge hometown discount. Boras serves his clients well.
This is standard stuff. No player ever takes the first offer. The Mets will be willing to up their offer.
I’ve felt all along the Mets should let Conforto price himself in free agency. Too much of a chance they’ll overpay for him at this point. If the price is right, they can still sign him as a free agent. If it’s too high, move on.
LOL Same old Mets always a day late and a dollar short
Perspective will always be key 😉
Yankee fan ass
This is what happens when an arrogant owner boasts about his wealth and tries to be Stevie Hero online. If he wants to keep Lindor, deGrom (opt-out), Conforto, Syndergaard, and Stroman next winter, he’ll have to significantly outbid other teams. The MLBPA is not going to let the new richest owner put an end to rising salaries. Cohen will have a heckuva time signing each of those five players. It doesn’t help that he’s trying to do it all by himself. The smart thing would have been to rebuild.
@ Cey Hey;
B I N G O !
Good to see you back.
As I wrote elsewhere, if Lindor is worth $30m-plus, then DeGrom is with well over $40m-plus. Stroman ( a decent lower #2-upper #3 starter) wants to go to the Yankees so badly he’s drooling (and with that starting staff he’ll be talked to by them next year), the other players will want stupid money. Boras sees a new owner / total sucker and is going to play him just like he did the Ranger owner that gave A-Rod all that money and subsequently had to sell the franchise (he wasn’t the first or the last).
Lindor and Conforto aren’t even free agents and already Katz has made himself out to be a sucker for every players agent – they’re standing in line salivating to negotiate with him.
I enjoyed watching the Mets a few years ago. But as I keep writing, a team cannot give it’s competition 4 and 5 outs an inning multiple times a game, 4-5 games a week, and expect to get to the WS. There are plays on defense that have to be made – and I’m not talking about how the official scorer sees it.
The Mets need to take a few steps back over the next few years – restructure the ML team and build a farm system that signs quality prospects and develops them to play at the ML level. Get their payroll under control (it’s already kissing the luxury tax level).
I have the Mets for 4th place in the NLE this year. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a MLB team so drastically overrated – this is worse then the Phillies rebuild…..which was obvious to me yet the no-nothing baseball media (i.e. sports arm of People magazine) thought a super team chock full of young superstars just over the horizon. And the funny thing – I watched the Phillies in ST this year. Throw out the stats and W-L loss as that’s not what ST is about. Ownership intervened, brought in a top flight manager (former Mets ownership rejected him), 3-4 solid veteran players, and now a top-flight head of Baseball Ops. That team on the field is night and day from what I saw out of them even 2 years ago. They are executing fundaments, playing as a team, and many of the players have shown noticeable improvements to their games. Barring season-ending injuries to key players (Nola, Realmuto, or Harper) I believe they’ll take the NLE. And…..I believe that by late July-August all this Mets hoopla will have people wondering what was supposed to be so wonderful about them.
And here I was thinking fellow Mets fans were being too boastful, this is delusional
If you read his other posts he also has the Royals winning the world series and the Orioles being the al east team to beat in 2 years.
Let the other teams sign the $325+ million dollar contracts, then they have to eat the bad years and $100 million on the back half. Avoid 2 of those mistakes and you get several nice players for virtually nothing
Good teams don’t care about the back half; they understand that those mega-contracts put more money in their own pockets. It’s an investment that pays for itself in the contract’s first few years.
@ Stroman
Disagree…..
Smart team FO’s understand that winning puts money in their pockets. Paying a disproportionate percentage of their budgeted payroll to players that can only bat once every 9 hitters, start games in which they can only throw 100 pitchers every 4-5 days, pitch in relief for 60-70 innings a year (average 2.5 innings a week), and (short of Pitcher and Catcher) will only handle the ball on defense if it’s hit or thrown to them, is not financial sanity. Baseball is not basketball, football or hockey.
Sure, teams have to pay some large salaries to compete. But in the long run one has to decide if they’re in the entertainment business or the baseball business. PR departments can baffle the public with bull and make nice money for a while. But at some point they have to deliver superior goods, else consumers move on.
Wasn’t Scott Boras the agent for Barry Bonds? I remember one year when he was negotiating a new contract with the Giants. Bonds made it clear he wanted to continue to play there. Boras demands ever more outrageous as he dumped more and more baseball stats and financial projections on the Giants negotiator. Finally the negotiator had had enough. He told Boras and Bonds that the Giants would meet his salary demands. However, Barry would be playing along with 8 rookies on the field, because that was what was left in the budget.
Boras and Bonds backed off.
Mets needed a 3B, CF & RP. They still don’t have them. Instead they missed on all the top FAs and traded their cost controlled SS Gimenez who will become a great player for a one year rental Lindor who they didn’t obtain a window to negotiate his signing along with the trade. How incompetent is this? LOL.
Yep, they should be selling, not buying. A couple of painful years but in the long run, they would be a better team that can contend regularly. They said they wanted to be the Dodgers but are behaving like the Angels. Scratch that. They are behaving like the Mets. Best of luck to them trying to retain Lindor, Conforto, deGrom, Syndergaard, and Stroman. They’ll have quite a few more holes in 2022 than they have now.
The problem is they don’t want to waste prime Degrom years and their FO and Ownership are delusional, cheap and clueless.
I thought back in 2018 that the Mets should have traded deGrom at the July deadline and then Wheeler and Syndergaard over the winter, Yes, deGrom was having a Cy Young season and fans would have gone bonkers. But he was at his absolute peak with an affordable contract. The Dodgers would have paid mightily after losing the WS in 2017. I was thinking of a catcher (Smith or Ruiz), a pitcher (May), and possibly Verdugo. The Mets then could have added more prospects for the other two SPs. And they would still have Kelenic, Dunn, Kay, and Woods-Richardson. A rough 2019 but by now they’d have an interesting young roster. Instead, the Wilpons hired the one GM candidate who wanted to go for it right away. And what does that GM do? Trade for his ex-client Cano 🙂
CeyHey- They aren’t gonna sell when they have a very good chance to compete for a playoff spot. Of course they have to play the games. But on paper this team is much better than the 2019 team. That team finished 10 games over 500 and just missed the wild card. Yeah they have some holes. But unless you are Dodgers. So does everyone else. Any realistic fan should realize they aren’t gonna win a championship in one offseason. Cohen talked about a 3-5 year window. I’m fine with that. I think this is a good time to be a Mets fan.
Cey Hey – yep Mets gonna Met. I’ve been saying tear it down, but not too many people agree
@ Cey Hey;
LOL
Now you got it.
I’ve been writing that for 3 days now on Lindor (and saying it for 2 years).
To be fair to the Mets, the sign-and-extend is more rare than it used to be. Players like to test FA.
I hope you get paid for all that hate.
If you do this for free then I wish I had as much money as you do.
Only you know;)
Conforto puts up good numbers but as an avid Mets fan I would not overpay to keep him. Certainly a subjective view on my part but he never seems to hit in the clutch; or doesn’t that often. They need to worry about the rotation of the future and a bullpen that is a mess. Diaz will fall flat on his face again; 2020 was limited competition for him with no fans. Save the money for pitching, pitching, and more pitching.
And yes no real CF or 3B add defense to pitching.
Sandy Alderson needs to be fired. How can he survive this debacle? He missed on all the FAs and extensions no 3B, CF and RP. His last two hires were incompetent and deviants.
@Robrock30 Experts have the Mets getting into the playoffs. I don’t understand the doom and gloom.
They have too many flaws and things have to all go right or it will be the same old.
you are very, very far from right there.
What did Zack Scott do?
Omg this “clutch” crap again… yes he does hit. He’s one of the 30 best hitters in MLB
if im either id test FA. let Cohen’s riches speak for themselves in the offer he puts out after. personally if im either and i think the team values me thar much id test. Conforto may not have as many suitors at his asking price, but we don’t know that he got some sort of amazing offer yet.
Mets will finish last in their division this year with Conforto batting .259
Mets are negotiating. They are flush with money but not dumb. Conforto will be a Met because of their money and the QO/draft pick comp attached to Conforto.
If Lindor doesn’t sign then Guillorme plays SS for a year until Mauricio is ready.
Mets have nice IF prospects but no one close in OF.
He wants to break the record for guaranteed money on an extension. $325 mil doesn’t do it. $385 mil does.
All well and good. Wanting to break the record will begin to sound like a broken record. $325/10 ain’t chump change.
Conforto and Boras were at 200million. Cohen not going to go there on a streaky Corner OF.
Dammed if you do, and Dammed if you dont, teams that sign free agents to big contracts dont usually win the world series. Teams that add top free agents as the last piece to the puzzle have the best chance to win. Most free agents are over paid and their values go down.
Perhaps Conforto wants to sign in the AL East where he played a few more games than usual last year.
I hope the TV deals pick up the cost of these contracts. Because if it comes down to ticket prices, concessions and parking, the players WILL be playing with no fans in the stands, and it won’t be because of a pandemic. Somebody, please explain to me why the cash strapped A’s seem to be on the verge of making the playoffs every year? Who, on their team is making $400ml? Just wondering.
Oh well, they tried. Those huge deals all suck soon after they get signed anyway.
Signing Conforto before he hits free agency, in my opinion, is slightly more important than Lindor. Conforto is the best right fielder going into fa, hands down!!!! Besides being the best he’s grown into a leader on and off the field!!! PAY THE MAN!! As for lindor, he is the best ss, Cohen said he wants a world series in 3 to 4 years. Lindor is definitely a step in that direction. A 1 year rental doesn’t get you a ws. Keep the best all around as available, period. Alonzo says he’s worth 400 million. That’s good enough for me!!! Also extend Syndergaard now before that ship sails. 4 years/ 100million sounds fair. There are other issues that still need the be addressed. Why wouldn’t you want to address the issues you can control? Seems pretty easy to me.