Francisco Lindor’s response to Juan Soto’s mega-contract with the Mets was proper consistent with most individuals’s.
“I was happy,” Lindor mentioned Saturday, “and I also said, ‘Damn!’”
Certainly, Soto’s record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal was a serious speaking level Saturday on the Amazin’ Day fan pageant at Citi Subject, regardless that last-minute flight points prevented Soto from leaving the Dominican Republic to attend the occasion himself.
With the signing of Soto got here renewed pleasure across the Mets, who vastly exceeded expectations final season by making the playoffs as a wild-card crew and advancing to Sport 6 of the NLCS.
The Mets gained’t sneak up on anyone this yr. Not with Soto, who hit .288 with a career-high 41 house runs, 109 RBI, 129 walks, a .419 on-base proportion and a .989 OPS final season with the crosstown Yankees.
“He’s on base a lot, and I think that’s something that we can all learn from, just having more consistent at-bats,” Lindor mentioned. “I’m looking forward to that. I’ve heard nothing but great things. I’ve heard he’s a good teammate, he’s a great person and family man, and that’s what this organization’s about.”
Soto boasts 5 top-five finishes in MVP voting; 4 All-Star picks; 5 Silver Slugger Awards; a batting title; and 201 house runs by seven MLB seasons with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and Yankees.
And he simply turned 26.
The Mets signed the proper fielder final month after a high-stakes bidding conflict that additionally included the Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Crimson Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s an unprecedented dedication the Mets hope will assist them win now and sooner or later.
“I worked so hard on that,” Mets proprietor Steve Cohen mentioned Saturday throughout a fan panel. “I have never been through something that was so many ups and downs, and frankly, I did not know we were going to get him until about 30 minutes [beforehand].
“Literally, 30 minutes before I found out that we legitimately were going to get him, I thought we weren’t getting him. … [There was] enough between the bid and the offer that I actually felt we couldn’t close it, and then it all of a sudden came together.”
The contract is the largest in MLB historical past by way of complete worth and years. It’s actually the most costly deal in Mets historical past, greater than doubling the $341 million extension Lindor signed in 2021.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns mentioned he seen Soto’s free company as a novel alternative to signal a participant on a Corridor of Fame trajectory who’s now getting into his prime years and has confirmed his potential to carry out in New York.
“Very excited to be with Soto,” Brandon Nimmo mentioned Saturday. “I’ve played against him for a long time now. Incredible hitter. Incredible athlete. … He’s going to be a presence in the middle of our lineup.”
How precisely supervisor Carlos Mendoza will draw up that lineup stays to be seen. Mendoza mentioned Saturday it’s too early to contemplate the batting order.
The switch-hitting Lindor primarily led off final season en path to a second-place end in Nationwide League MVP voting.
The lefty-swinging Soto, in the meantime, batted second final yr with the Yankees. Utilizing Soto in that slot would offer the final word safety for Lindor.
“Hopefully I can get nine fastballs out of 10,” Lindor mentioned Saturday concerning the prospect of hitting in entrance of Soto.
The larger query stays who will bat behind Soto, who delivered a career-best season final yr with a fellow generational slugger, Aaron Choose, within the No. 3 gap.
Pete Alonso — who, like Choose, is a right-handed energy hitter — would seemingly give the Mets their finest shot at replicating that scenario. Alonso, nonetheless, stays a free agent.
On Saturday, Cohen described his negotiations with Alonso’s camp as “exhausting” and mentioned the Mets have to be ready to maneuver on if nothing adjustments. Alonso, like Soto, is represented by agent Scott Boras.
Mark Vientos, who additionally bats right-handed, hit 27 house runs in 413 at-bats with the Mets final season. The 25-year-old seems to be one of the best in-house choice to bat behind Soto.
“That’s awesome,” Vientos mentioned Saturday when requested about that chance. “It’s almost like a ‘pinch me, I’m dreaming’ type of feeling, so it’s sick that I’ll get the opportunity, hopefully.”
No matter the way it shakes out, the Mets are comfortable to have Soto this season — and past.
“I can’t wait to be a teammate of his for the next seven years,” Lindor mentioned, earlier than including with fun, “and then I can’t wait to watch him from my house.”
