Just two days after the initial reports, Francisco Lindor, the hotshot MLB shortstop has signed a 10-year, $341 million contract with the New York Mets.
The news of the official deal was first claimed by Jeff Passan of ESPN, who also reported on Monday that both Lindor and the Mets owner Steve Cohen were having a face to face meeting over dinner regarding netogitatons.
Initial reports from Mets beat and Newsday writer Tim Healey suggested that the club had primarily offered a 10-year, $325 million to the player, to pull the former Cleveland Indians star out of the free agency.
On the other hand, Lindor hit the franchise back with 12-year, $385 million deal, which would pocket him a lesser annual amount but would have been higher in total financial commitment for being two years longer.
Now as things fall into place, both sides have found a comfortable middle ground.
A former New York-Penn League side Mahoning Valley Scrappers and Class AAA International League side Columbus Clippers player, Francisco Lindor’s MLB career kicked off with the Cleveland Indians in 2015 and has been a four-time All-Star at the team.
On his debut MLB season, Lindor won the American League (AL) Rookie of the Month Award for September, batting .362, and was voted second in that year’s AL Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2016, he won his first Golden Glove and Platinum Glove Awards, and the next season, Lindor hit his first career grand slam in a 9-6 victory over the Texas Rangers. However, the 2020 season saw a lackluster performance from the shortstop and on 7th January this year, the 27-year-old was traded to the Mets.
(more to come)
