When the New York Mets and Francisco Lindor reached an agreement on a deal spanning 10 years and $341 million on the eve of Opening Day, the consequences reverberated across the game:
• For the Mets, it was new owner Steve Cohen's biggest statement to his team's fan base since he bought the franchise over the winter. It validated Cohen's vow to spend and compete as a big market force -- something the Mets have seldom done in recent years. For a franchise perennially in the shadow of their neighbors in the Bronx, this is no small thing.
•For the star-studded class of free agent shortstops set to hit the market next winter, it served to set the bar for elite players at that position. Since the end of last season, two shortstops -- Lindor and Fernando Tatis Jr. — have signed extensions worth a combined $681 million. Surely, that's music to the ears of Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Javier Baez and Trevor Story -- and their respective agents. Whatever windfalls they were dreaming of when it's their turn at bat, surely the expectations have been raised.
• And, closer to home, for Xander Bogaerts, it's surely time for a re-appraisal. When Bogaerts agreed to a six-year, $120-million extension signed at the start of the 2019 season -- but which didn't kick in until 2020 -- it was thought, even then, Bogaerts had agreed to a team-friendly deal. The fact that Bogaerts instigated the talks and prompted agent Scott Boras to get a deal done was further evidence of that. And given what's happened to the shortstop market since, his deal is even more of a bargain. All of which should prove interesting at the end of next season (2022) when Bogaerts has the opportunity to opt-out of his deal.
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