The New York Mets are absolutely going to be sellers before this summer's MLB trade deadline, and let me tell you, that is NOT where they planned to be. We all know contract-year guys like Freddy Peralta are probably gone. But the real question, the one everyone's been asking, centers on Francisco Lindor. Is he actually available?
The Company Line vs. The Real Scoop
Mets ownership has been trying to shut down that chatter hard. Owner Steve Cohen himself recently went on record, saying that both Lindor and Juan Soto "aren't going anywhere." Sounds pretty firm, right? You'd think that would put the rumors to bed. But then Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic drops his new article on Friday, and suddenly the picture gets a whole lot murkier. Rosenthal is out here saying, "Speculation about Lindor will persist until he and Soto prove they can co-exist and the New York Mets snap out of a funk that now dates back more than a year." Talk about a cold dose of reality after Cohen's grand statement! It really tells you everything you need to know about the disconnect between what the team says publicly and what's bubbling underneath.Why the Lindor Rumors Won't Die
So, a Lindor trade might not happen tomorrow, but Rosenthal's report confirms that speculation and rumors are only going to blow up even bigger around the star shortstop. Lindor has full no-trade protection, which gives him a ton of power, and he recently "declined to discuss whether he would be open to a deal." That's a classic move from a player who knows his worth and holds all the cards. Rosenthal also points out that "Moving position players with big contracts generally is easier in the offseason, when teams are more flexible with their rosters." This isn't some small move; Lindor's contract is massive, and those kinds of deals take time and careful planning. This whole situation for the Mets is brutal, man. They thought they had a great plan, and it's collapsed. Rosenthal doesn't lay out "specifically what's next for Lindor," and we shouldn't expect him to. But what his report absolutely does is expose that the "we're not trading Lindor" face the Mets are putting on might not be the complete truth. The Mets are stuck, folks. They are going to have to make "something incredibly bold" happen because their whole strategy has been a disaster for over a year. Is that trading Lindor now? Later? Maybe it's something totally different. But one thing is crystal clear: the Mets cannot "hold too firm" on anything right now. They "aren't standing on very solid ground," and every decision from here on out is going to be under a microscope. This is not just about one player; this is about the identity of a team in turmoil, and how they navigate these treacherous waters will define their next few years.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.