MMO Roundtable: Reactions To Blockbuster Lindor Trade

IT. HAS. HAPPENED. A blockbuster trade has happened!

Francisco Lindor is going to be a New York Met! After weeks of silence from the Mets, with fans even starting to hound Steve Cohen on social media asking when something was going to happen, boom, here it is!

And not just any move, but arguably one of of the biggest moves that could’ve been made, as the Mets landed a quality starting pitcher in Carlos Carrasco, along with their new superstar shortstop.

Mojo Hill

I think this is a tremendous deal for the Mets. They checked so many boxes with this one. They got their star offensive player, they improved their defense, and they addressed the starting rotation. Lindor is obviously a star, but he brings tremendous value on both sides of the ball which is great. The infield defense will be drastically improved because of him, and the lineup will also be stronger.

Acquiring Carlos Carrasco in the same trade benefits the rotation at the same time. Carrasco posted back-to-back 5+ fWAR seasons in 2017 and 2018, and although he’s 33 now, he had a 2.91 ERA in 2020. He lengthens the depleted rotation, and serves as basically what Masahiro Tanaka would have been if they had signed him.

The Mets did give up Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, as well as a couple solid prospects, but you have to give to get. Both Rosario and Gimenez would have gotten depleted playing time with the acquisition of Lindor anyway, so losing them doesn’t hurt quite as much. I see almost no negatives in this deal for the Mets. All the best to Rosario and Gimenez with their new club, but I believe the Mets came out with a win here. Steve Cohen isn’t messing around.

Patrick Glynn

I’m absolutely floored. This is the most significant trade the Mets have made this century before either player steps on the field. The package they had to give up was two lesser players at the same position (Giménez and Rosario can both be good, but they haven’t proven what Lindor has) and two prospects. The Mets killed about four birds with one stone here: adding a superstar, shoring up defensive, bolstering the rotation, and improving the offense. This is on par with adding a Keith Hernandez or Mike Piazza. Next step? Lock down a Lindor extension.

Dilip Sridhar

I am still stunned that this happened and I do not know where to begin. For starters, the Mets gave up less for Lindor and Carrasco than they did for Cano and Diaz. So at the very least, Jared Porter and Sandy Alderson are better at their jobs than Jeff Wilpon and Brodie. The Mets managed to add a 27-year-old star who can theoretically finish his career as a Met. They also managed to add a really good starter and managed to fill two holes in just one move. This is one of the most exciting days to be a Mets fan and what we have all been dreaming of since November 6th, 2020.

Marshall Field

Steve Cohen is obviously a man of his word. No sooner did the calendar turn to 2021 when the new Mets, with their new front office, went to work. And their work unearthed a 27-year-old, four-time All-Star named Francisco Lindor. They also received a 33-year-old right-handed pitcher who had been a lifelong member of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Carlos Carrasco. Last year, Carrasco’s ERA was below 3.00 in the shortened season.

But the linchpin is Lindor, a man who’s received accolades in each of his five years in MLB. He finished a close second to Carlos Correa for AL Rookie of the Year although Lindor had a better BA and more hits. Before the shortened 2020 season, Lindor made no fewer than 650 plate appearances in the four years prior. He led the league in runs scored in 2018 with 120. Lindor is also considered a well above average defensive shortstop.

The Mets gave up surprisingly little in this trade and many are likening it to the Johann Santana deal in terms of scope. Others around baseball are already reporting that the Mets ‘stole’ two players from the Rock and Roll Capital of the World. The bigger picture is the Mets willingness to make the big trade. Next year, when the free agent class is even richer, the Mets should be seen as favorites to land the player they need. Hopefully, Lindor is just the beginning and hopefully he retires a Met. Alderson just told reporters a few minutes ago: “We’re comfortable with that and what we could do going forward.” Comments like that (and trades like today’s) make me comfortable being a Mets fan.

Josh Finkelstein 

Getting Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco was pretty much a dream come true for Mets fans. They barely gave up much in terms of talent while getting a strong number two starter and arguably the best shortstop in the game. While this could preclude them from getting George Springer, Lindor is actually a better long-term investment right now given that he’s only 27 years old. There’s so much to be excited about with the 2021 Mets after this deal. I don’t think you could’ve expected a much better move.

Brian Wright

Thrilled to put it mildly. Getting Lindor, an elite-level player at age 27, alone would be a tremendous move in the Mets’ effort to build a championship contender. But adding Carrasco, a quality starting pitcher who can satisfy a major need in the middle of the rotation — and not giving up a top-flight prospect to do it — is a consequential trade that could prove to be one of the biggest in franchise history. We were excited for the future of this team before today. Now, that excitement is uncontrollable. The season can’t start soon enough.

Rich Sparago

My primary reaction to the trade is surprise. It seemed that the Mets were going down the free agent route to improve the team, and that made sense given the need to try to rebuild the minor league system after the BVW era.

Not only did the Mets make a trade involving prospects, they landed an All-Star in his prime, a quality starting pitcher, and did so without trading their premier prospects.

Further, this trade came out of nowhere. It appeared that the Mets were out on Lindor, all of the focus has been on Springer and Bauer. This news broke, and the trade was complete an hour later. What a surprise!

The trade is great and the players the Mets received are going to be huge upgrades. The key to making this deal truly one of the best in team history will be signing Lindor for the long-term. That’s a matter for another day. We Mets fans can have nice things. The proof came today.

Ryan Finkelstein

Francisco Lindor is likely the best player that will change teams this offseason. That in of itself makes this a massive win for the Mets. But when you dig deeper the deal only get’s better.

Carlos Carrasco fills a great need for the Mets, as he is arguably as good (if not better) than any starting pitcher not named Bauer that could have been had in free agency. These two players really raise the ceiling of what the Mets can accomplish in 2021 and beyond.

Then when we get to the package it took to acquire them and this is where the new front office really showed their muscle. Cleveland simply had little leverage in their pursuit to trade Lindor, as the financial commitment and risk of him leaving in free agency significantly hampered his value.

With that, the Mets were able to make this trade without giving up any of their top prospects in Ronny Mauricio, Matthew Allan, Francisco Alvarez or Brett Baty. They were also able to keep key fixtures on their roster like Brandon Nimmo and Dominic Smith, who many thought would need to be included to make this type of trade. This trade grades out as an A+++ for Jared Porter and his team.

Joe D.

These last four months have been the stuff that dreams are made of if you’re a Mets fan. We have a brand new owner with loads of cash and a willingness to be a big-time spender. And don’t look now but the New York Mets have been the most active team this offseason. The Mets quickly addressed the need for an everyday catcher, wasting no time signing James McCann. Then they added Trevor May to bolster a beleaguered bullpen. And today we landed Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco??? Are you kidding me??? Somebody pinch me, I think I’m dreaming! I love this trade! I love the Mets! And I love Steve Cohen!!!

Michelle Ioannou

I am going to keep this short and sweet – LET’S GO! If this doesn’t get you excited for the new season, or the new era of Mets baseball, I don’t know what will.