Just over three years ago, the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Mets made a high-profile trade, one that involved two established veterans and former All-Star players and multiple high-upside prospects.
“Three years ago today, the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor. What has been your favorite memory from the Lindor era so far?” SNY Mets tweeted.
Three years ago today, the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor.
What has been your favorite memory from the Lindor era so far? ⬇ pic.twitter.com/rJkI3PXkLg
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 7, 2024
In early 2021, Cleveland agreed to send Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in exchange for four players: Amed Rosario, Isaiah Greene, Josh Wolf, and Andres Gimenez.
Carrasco was declining, but was seen as a good gamble back then.
The prize of the deal, of course, was Lindor, an established All-Star in his prime who was nearing the moment of getting paid.
That’s mainly the reason why Cleveland traded him: he wanted an extension and the organization isn’t too keen on giving away $300+ million contracts.
Lindor established a deadline for extension negotiations with the Mets: Opening Day 2021.
If he wasn’t extended by then, he wouldn’t talk about the subject until after the season, in which he was going to be a free agent.
But they came to terms on a 10-year, $341 million pact.
As for the return the Guardians got, Wolf and Greene still haven’t developed, but they enjoyed a couple of seasons of Rosario as a starter before shipping him to Los Angeles via trade.
The real star of that trade, for the Guardians, has been Gimenez.
He has developed into a nice hitter and an elite fielder at second base, and is very quietly one of the best in MLB at his position.
Of course retaining Lindor would have been nice, but that kind of contract was not in the cards for the Guards.
NEXT: Guardians Prospect Is Thriving In Winter Ball
