- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,854
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Cross-town trades almost never happen.
The politics, the fan backlash, the sheer awkwardness of sending a star player to your biggest rival — it’s the kind of move that front offices rarely have the stomach for.
But what if, on paper, it just made sense?
That’s the question Sal Licata raised on Wednesday.
The idea: a blockbuster deal sending Francisco Lindor, Luke Weaver and Luis Torrens from the Mets to the Yankees, with premium prospects heading back to Queens in return.
“I do believe the Mets should trade Lindor... I don’t like the the chemistry stuff with (Juan) Soto and Lindor. I don’t like the fact that he’s an aging shortstop,” Licata said in a clip posted on YouTube.
And the Yankees connection isn’t random.
The Yankees need a shortstop, they need a right-handed catcher and Weaver has been excellent out of the bullpen this season.
The return package is where the conversation gets thorny. Licata floated George Lombard Jr. as a starting point, with additional pitching depth potentially included. But Evan Roberts, while open to the concept of moving Lindor, pumped the brakes hard on the prospect haul.
“Like, I don’t love the idea of taking Lindor, who’s so important to this team and just trying to get prospects back. I mean, prospects, as you know, they’re freaking lottery tickets and I don’t even think you’re going to get like the high-end return of prospects either,” Roberts said.
Prospects are alluring because they represent future upside — but Roberts is right that they’re far from a sure thing. Trading a proven, postseason-tested shortstop for a collection of lottery tickets is a gamble, regardless of how the odds look on paper.
Roberts also pushed back on the chemistry angle, arguing that two position players don’t need to be best friends to coexist on a winning team. As long as the relationship isn’t toxic, he’s not convinced that’s a reason to blow up the roster.
The more compelling arguments, in his view, are Lindor’s age, his contract and the Mets’ overall trajectory as a franchise.
Mets moneyline is listed at -110 on FanDuel for Wednesday’s contest, the second game of their doubleheader, versus the Cubs. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review shows you how to register and use their app.
Roberts floated a more creative scenario involving a team like San Diego, perhaps packaging Lindor into a deal that brings back an established player rather than a prospect pool.
The Padres have bad contracts the Mets could absorb in exchange for real, proven talent.
The cross-town trade may be a fantasy, but the underlying question — what do the Mets actually do with Lindor — is one of the most pressing roster decisions in New York baseball right now.
MORE SPORTS COVERAGE
- Where to watch Morocco vs. Haiti World Cup game today: FREE live stream, time, channel
- Jalen Brunson updates status of potential Knicks’ White House visit
- Another ESPN broadcaster exits network after 16-year run
- Yankees may have an Anthony Volpe problem they can’t ignore
- Where to watch Scotland vs. Brazil World Cup game today: FREE live stream, time, channel
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Continue reading...
