WASHINGTON – After a drawn-out, suspenseful final 72 hours, Francisco Lindor and the Mets agreed to a deal that will keep the superstar shortstop in Queens long term.
Lindor accepted a 10-year deal worth $341 million late Wednesday night, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. The contract begins in 2022, per a source, which means Lindor will be 38 years old by the time it ends. The deal does include deferrals, but no opt-outs.
Both sides reached an agreement with less than an hour to go before Lindor’s self-imposed Opening Day deadline. About 45 minutes before midnight, when the schedule would officially – finally – turn to the day of the Mets’ first game in the Steve Cohen era, Lindor came down from his original reported 12-year, $385 million asking price.
After Cohen went to dinner with Lindor in Port St. Lucie on Sunday night (bad ravioli, said Cohen, and Lindor got the chicken parm), he and the Mets offered what they thought was a fair 10-year deal worth $325 million, according to a source. Since Monday morning, when that offer became public, a source described it as the Mets’ “best and final.” The club was unwilling to meet Lindor’s request for $60 million more, over 12 years, until Wednesday night. The jump to 10-years, $341 became the magic number
Now, the Mets can head into Opening Day with their fan base happy and one of the best shortstops in the game signed to a long-term deal.
