Francisco Lindor a Dodger? “He was definitely on our target list”

LOS ANGELES — Andrew Friedman turned on a New York Mets game last month and thought about sliding doors. On the screen was Francisco Lindor, the five-headed shortstop and franchise cornerstone in Queens, battling with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani for position in the National League MVP race. Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, watched Lindor and remembered why he once tried to dress him in Dodger blue.

“I just think about how different the world would look,” Friedman said a day before Lindor’s leadoff home run gave the Mets a 7-3 win over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

In the winter following the 2019 season, Friedman searched through free agents and competing executives for the star who could help end the team's championship drought. He eventually completed a deal with Boston for Mookie Betts. However, in an alternate reality, Friedman could have made a trade with Cleveland for Lindor.

“We’re pretty committed,” Friedman said. “Had some traction here and there. I wouldn't say it was anything close. But he was definitely on our target list.”

None of those involved can argue about the actual result. Betts, a perennial All-Star, led the Dodgers to a title in 2020. The Mets acquired Lindor this winter and made him the face of the franchise. The package sent to the Cleveland Guardians included second baseman Andrés Giménez, who has won two Gold Gloves and plays every day for the American League Central champions. All three clubs remain alive this postseason.

Francisco Lindor led off Game 2 of the NLCS with a home run, showing his talent for big moments. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Nevertheless, the thought experiment still fascinated Friedman. Acquiring Betts was the culmination of a years-long search. When the Dodgers traded Adrián González, Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir to the Atlanta Braves after the 2017 season, Friedman described the deal as “a little more subtle than most.” Friedman wanted to reset his team's luxury tax number and stop paying penalties. He also planned to free up a spot on his payroll for a player earning a salary of $30 million.

He didn't have a specific player in mind. That same winter, the Dodgers haggled with the Miami Marlins but were unable to finalize a deal for Giancarlo Stanton. A year later, Bryce Harper turned down a short-term offer from the Dodgers for long-term stability with the Philadelphia Phillies. There were frequent flirtations with Nolan Arenado, the third baseman for the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers were so serious about Anthony Rendon that franchise star Justin Turner offered to move on from third base in 2020.

In the months following the 2019 season, Friedman maintained dialogue with Cleveland's front office and did the same with Boston Red Sox general manager Chaim Bloom. It was considered unlikely that Cleveland would sign Lindor to a long-term contract, while Betts had rejected an extension offer from Boston. On the free agent market, Friedman convinced owner Mark Walter to offer Gerrit Cole a contract worth $300 million, which would have been the richest ever for a pitcher. The only catch was that the Dodgers were asked to defer some of the money. Cole opted to sign a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees. “The problem in the free agent market is always that when you offer money, it has to be real money and not deferred money,” said Scott Boras, Cole’s agent.

The loss to Cole disappointed Dodgers officials, but it didn't deter them. Friedman continued talking to Cleveland. Lindor wasn't a perfect fit for the Dodgers. He played a position that Corey Seager already played. There were a few ways to make it work. The Dodgers could have moved Seager to third base and explored the trade market for Turner or Max Muncy. Or the team could have played Lindor at second base and tried to move Gavin Lux. There were ways to make it work, and Lindor was one of the talents worth building.

In some ways, Lindor offered more value than Betts. He was under team control through 2021, while Betts could become a free agent after 2020. Lindor played a premier position with burgeoning power. He averaged 34 home runs from 2017 to 2019. (This was in the mini-era of juiced baseball. Lindor posted an OPS of .854 in 2019, which earned an OPS+ of 118. His OPS of .844 in 2024 earned an OPS+ of 138.)

Friedman prides himself on keeping his options open. In practice, this means that he has a lot of conversations that lead nowhere. He tried to bring in a third team to facilitate a deal centered around Lindor. The talks came to nothing. Friedman remained wary of giving up his best prospects, according to people familiar with the situation. That stance wouldn't stop him from acquiring Betts.

Friedman didn't give up on Boston. Bloom had been his first lieutenant with the Tampa Bay Rays. Eventually, the two men completed the deal that brought Betts and veteran pitcher David Price to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, catcher Connor Wong and infielder Jeter Downs. After the pandemic hit in the spring, Betts agreed to a 12-year, $365 million contract that included some deferred funds. He played an important role in the club's rise to the championship in the bubble in Arlington, Texas.

Lindor played through a disjointed 2020 season with Cleveland. After a year out of free agency, the team traded him to the Mets for a package that also included Giménez and shortstop Amed Rosario. Lindor was new owner Steve Cohen's first major acquisition. Eager to demonstrate his difference from the Wilpon family, the franchise's previous stewards, Cohen handed Lindor a 10-year, $341 million contract.

Lindor has never made an All-Star team as a Met. He tends to start the season slowly. But his production was tremendous. Only Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Ohtani have been more valuable since 2021, according to FanGraphs' version of wins above replacement.

“He excels in every aspect of the game,” said Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. “So he helps you win in so many different ways, both on the field and in what he does from a clubhouse and leadership perspective.”

Lindor demonstrated his tangible and intangible value earlier this season when the Mets were on the brink of collapse. On May 29, the Dodgers completed a sweep at Citi Field, dropping the Mets 11 games below .500. The scene turned ugly. Reliever Jorge López was ejected in the series finale, threw his glove into the stands and was released from the team that afternoon.

Lindor then called a meeting. He stressed that players need to put more energy into preparation and hold each other accountable. He led by example. Lindor posted an OPS of .957 the rest of the year. The Mets came back from the brink and overtook the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final wild card spot. Lindor's two-run home run destroyed the Atlanta Braves in the first game of the doubleheader on the final day. His grand slam in the National League Division Series signaled the early onset of winter in Philadelphia.

“What makes all of this possible for him is the discipline he has demonstrated throughout his life,” Stearns said. “And the care with which he prepares himself every day to give himself the best chance of success.”

Lindor lived out that mantra in Game 2. The Mets had been crushed the night before. Lindor changed the conversation in the first at-bat of the day. He saw eight pitches. The last one landed in the Mets bullpen. His team never lagged behind. The other team — the one he might have joined all those years ago — felt firsthand why a championship contender could be built around him.

— The athlete'S Zack Meisel contributed to this report.

(Top photo by Francisco Lindor: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)