Mets Reportedly Aggressively Pursued Francisco Lindor at Winter Meetings
By Scott Rogust
Ever since Major League Baseball entered the "Hot Stove" portion of the offseason, one of the names heavily rumored to be traded was Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor.
It appears one team was an active pursuer of Lindor's services.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the New York Mets engaged in "significant dialogue" with the Indians this past December.
Oxford defines opportunity cost as the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. That is the lingering issue the #Mets face with the Jarred Kelenic trade. https://t.co/7d37fopIfc
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 7, 2020
This doesn't come as a shock, as the Mets were revealed as one of several interested teams in Lindor.
Rosenthal notes that the Mets would've likely sent shortstop Amed Rosario and two prospects to Cleveland in exchange for Lindor. Additionally, the Indians asked for quality utilityman Jeff McNeill in a separate proposal. Both of these offers, and the Mets' financial situation, caused the team to pull out of talks with Cleveland.
While the Mets missed out on acquiring the superstar infielder, it wasn't a lost cause for them. The team has a plethora of shortstops in the form of Rosario, top prospect Ronny Mauricio, and Andres Gimenez.
The #Mets and #Indians had "significant dialogue" about Francisco Lindor back in December: https://t.co/ispmXOnKvo pic.twitter.com/2P6nQgphYo
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 8, 2020
Acquiring Lindor would've certainly put the Mets over the edge, considering general manager Brodie Van Wagenen's goal is to bring a World Series contender to Queens.
As is the case in any professional sport, it never hurts to try and acquire a true difference maker. The Mets tried with Lindor, but talks fell apart.