Francisco Lindor has Mets his match…
The New York Mets have agreed to one-year contract with the 27-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop to avoid salary arbitration.
Lindor, who’ll earn $22.3 million, was acquired from Cleveland Indians last week along with starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco in a blockbuster trade that excited Mets fans.
New York parted with young infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario plus two minor leaguers in a deal that signaled the club is serious about paying for star players and contending immediately under new owner Steve Cohen.
The next step will be trying to keep Lindor beyond this year. The four-time MLB All-Star shortstop said he’s not opposed to signing a long-term contract with the Mets. He said he wouldn’t want to negotiate after the start of spring training, though.
Lindor had a down year at the plate during the coronavirus pandemic-shortened season. He batted .258 with eight homers, 27 RBI and a .750 OPS while starting all 60 games and earning just more than $6.48 million prorated from his $17.5 million salary.
Michael Conforto has also agreed to a deal with the Mets…
The 27-year-old half-Puerto Rican professional baseball outfielder will get $12.25 million in his final year before potentially becoming a free agent.
Conforto, who turns 28 in March, has become a steady and productive staple in the middle of New York’s dangerous lineup. He batted a career-best .322 in 54 games last season with nine homers, 31 RBIs and a .927 OPS. The slugging right fielder also scored 40 runs, played solid defense and was selected second team All-MLB. He made $2,962,963 prorated from an $8 million salary.
Conforto was drafted 10th overall by the Mets in 2014 out of Oregon State and helped them reach the World Series as a rookie the following season. The 2017 All-Star can become a free agent after the upcoming season and is represented by Scott Boras. Tthe Mets have said they’re interested in talking to Conforto about a long-term contract — and he sounded open to the idea. But this late in the game, reaching an agreement before he hits the open market could prove challenging.
Edwin Díaz has agreed to $7 million in his second year. Seth Lugo agreed to $2,925,000.
The hard-throwing Díaz was so awful in 2019 during his first season with the Mets that he lost his job as closer and got booed repeatedly at Citi Field. He got off to a rough start again last year but rediscovered the nasty fastball-slider combination that helped him lead the majors with 57 saves as a 2018 MLB All-Star for the Seattle Mariners.
The right-hander finished 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA and six saves in 26 appearances. He struck out a whopping 50 batters against 14 walks in 25 2/3 innings, reclaiming his ninth-inning role. Perhaps most important, he gave up only two home runs after serving up 15 in 58 innings the year before.
Díaz, who turns 27 in March, made $1,888,889 in prorated pay last season from his $5.1 million salary.
Lugo wound up back in an injury-depleted rotation last season because the Mets needed help there. The versatile right-hander prefers to start but has been more effective as a reliever the last few years. He went 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA and three saves in 16 games, including seven starts.
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican baseball player, a 34th-round draft pick out of Centenary College in Louisiana, earned a prorated $740,741 from his $2 million salary last season. Until the Mets finish assembling their pitching staff, it’s uncertain whether Lugo will be in the bullpen or rotation to begin the season.