Jul 9, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) throws his bat after hitting a two run home run in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It was the first significant move of the Steve Cohen era. Francisco Lindor had been rumored to be a trade candidate that offseason and speculation was that the New York Mets were an ideal fit. But when news broke that the Mets had acquired the superstar shortstop from Cleveland, there was little notice it was going to happen.

Nevertheless, the surprise was certainly a pleasant one for Mets fans. This was a clear indication that new ownership was making good on its commitment to build a championship roster and operate, at last, as a big-market organization. Two years later, those promises are continuing to be fulfilled — with Lindor among the key pieces.

The trade also brought Carlos Carrasco to bolster the rotation. The Mets sent a pair of promising shortstops in Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez to Cleveland, along with prospects Isaiah Greene and Josh Wolf.

In Lindor, New York got one of baseball’s elite performers — not to mention a charismatic star that seemed built for the Big Apple. Prior to the shortened 2020 season, he had reeled off four straight seasons in which he had amassed a WAR above 5.0. He was an All-Star four times, a Gold Glove winner twice, and a Silver Slugger recipient twice.

That was just step one in ensuring Lindor would be a Met long-term. As spring training began, the talk then centered around the Mets potentially giving Lindor the contract extension Cleveland wouldn’t. With free agency looming at the end of the season, it would have been a topic of conversation year-round.

On the night before Opening Day, the two parties agreed on a club record 10-year, $341 million contract extension. There was going to be immense pressure on Lindor regardless if there was a new deal or not. Now minted as a face of the franchise, it was heightened. And that first season couldn’t have started much worse.

Through the end of May, Lindor had slashed .194/.294/.294 with just 11 RBIs. The distress of some impatient fans worsened as the year went on and Lindor couldn’t get out of his funk, despite still being defensively solid. Although he recovered more to his typical level at the plate, an injury in July derailed that progress. It was also a significant blow to the Mets who fell out of first place while Lindor was healing. Despite a less than satisfying debut year, he delivered a signature performance in the Subway Series that September with a three-homer night.

Similar to a high-profile Mets acquisition of the past, Carlos Beltrán, Lindor bounced back with a terrific 2022. It was easy to tell Lindor was a more comfortable player. The numbers were evidence of that: a 5.4 WAR, a 125 OPS+, 26 homers and 107 RBIs. He was arguably the most valuable player on a team that won 101 games.

Lindor’s marked improvement can be credited to the additional upgrades the front office made which lessened the burden on him. Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha, and especially Max Scherzer. These were just more examples that the Mets would be significant offseason buyers for years to come. And it’s why January 7, 2021 is a landmark date in team history.