Leave it to the New York Mets to close out the offseason in heart stopping fashion. Less than an hour before midnight, the Mets finally made good on their promise and extended superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor. The record breaking deal is worth $341 million over 10 years starting in 2022. This figure absolutely blows past David Wright‘s eight-year, $138 million extension to be the largest contract in franchise history. It also tops Fernando Tati’s Jr.’s contract by $1 million to become the largest ever by a shortstop. John Heyman over at MLB Network first broke the news.
Lindor 10-year deal for about $340M begins in 2022. So he has $362.3 coming to him for 11.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 1, 2021
Despite both parties’ desire to get a deal done, disagreements over the length of the contract stalled negotiations for days. The Mets got things started after presenting what was allegedly their “best and final offer” of 10-years, $325 million. Meanwhile, Lindor was pushing for 12-years, $385 million, a contract that would’ve made him the richest baseball player in history. Things seemed bleak until a deal was finally struck one hour before Lindor’s self-imposed Opening Day deadline.
A win-win for both sides, the Mets lock up one of the best players in the game while Lindor gets the payout and job security he deserves for the rest of his career. The four-time All-Star now fixes to be the anchor of the Mets’ lineup for the foreseeable future. With new owner Steve Cohen promising to build a contender that will compete for years to come, a deal like this certainly makes good on that promise.
Featured Image Courtesy of New York Mets Twitter
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