Former NY Mets GM reveals why they had to trade for Francisco Lindor

Before podcasts and social media, interesting people were told to “write a book.” We don't need former New York Mets GM Zack Scott calling Scholastic for some deal. He himself is an open book on social media. Want to find out about what happened during his 2021 season with the Mets? He'll probably talk about it if you ask him nicely.

Scott celebrated the Mets' entry into the playoffs thanks to Francisco Lindor's home run and noted the death threats that followed him for overtime. One fan asked why the team even bothered extending him. Then Scott dropped a pretty big detail.

The Mets traded for Francisco Lindor because the Blue Jays appeared to be on the rise

Without the Mets, Lindor would have become a member of the Toronto Blue Jays and extended immediately – at least according to Scott. The Blue Jays have been a team on the rise in 2021. They won 91 games but failed to make the playoffs without a sixth-place finish. Bo Bichette, who led the league with 191 hits, served as their shortstop. He would do the same, this time at 189, the following year.

Offensively, the Blue Jays don’t seem to have lost much. Although Bichette had a terrible underperforming season and a sub-.290 batting average in 2024 for the first time in his career, his last five seasons have been fantastic. Could he have gone to Cleveland in the trade? Considering the Mets gave them Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, that's a good guess.

It's crazy to imagine the Mets without Lindor. There are a plethora of options at shortstop, from simply retaining and developing Gimenez to signing one of the many big-name free agents that have hit the open market. Would they have grabbed a Corey Seager or Trea Turner? Or would the Mets once again struggle to replace the perennially injured Trevor Story in 2024?

Scott answered a recurring question. Why trade for a guy you can easily sign the following offseason? That's because trading a player and then extending him is commonplace and you have to take advantage of these opportunities.