Francisco Lindor set an Opening Day deadline for reaching a contract-extension agreement with the New York Mets, and the sides got the job done.
The 27-year-old shortstop and the team agreed to a 10-year, $341 million deal, multiple media outlets reported late Wednesday night. The Mets open the season Thursday night at Washington.
The only contracts in baseball history with larger overall payouts were the 12-year, $426.5 million deal that Mike Trout signed with the Los Angeles Angels in March 2019 and the 12-year, $365 million deal that Mookie Betts signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last July.
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Lindor had said he would have explored free agency next winter if he hadn’t reached a deal with the Mets by Thursday, not wanting the distraction of negotiating during the season.
The mega-deal is the latest for the Mets since billionaire Steve Cohen finalized his purchase of the team in November. Among the major transactions was the January trade that sent four players to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Lindor and right-hander Carlos Carrasco.
Lindor, a four-time All-Star, is entering his prime as one of the game’s top two-way players. He has two Gold Gloves, awarded to the top defensive player at each position in each league, and two Silver Sluggers, awarded to the top offensive player at each position in each league.
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Lindor is coming off his worst offensive season, as he hit .258 with eight homers and 27 RBIs in 60 games during the pandemic-reduced 2020 campaign.
In six major league seasons, all with Cleveland, Lindor has a .285 average with a .346 on-base percentage, a .488 slugging percentage, 138 homers, 411 RBIs and 99 stolen bases.
–Field Level Media