The Yankees have a shortstop problem, and ESPN’s Jorge Castillo floated a wild way to fix it: a trade for Mets star Francisco Lindor.
It’s the kind of idea that stops you for a second. A Mets-to-Yankees swap involving a player of Lindor’s stature would be stunning on its face, and Castillo acknowledged that much in his Tuesday piece.
"You don't normally see players going from the Mets to the Yankees, especially not stars of this caliber," Castillo writes. "But in this fantasy world we're operating, emotions aren't a factor."
Still, Castillo laid out why the fit makes at least some sense. The Yankees need help at shortstop and could use another impact bat with Aaron Judge nursing a rib injury.
Lindor, meanwhile, has full no-trade protection, but staying in New York and joining a contender would be part of the appeal. For the Mets, a deal would mean clearing a major contract and moving on from a Lindor-Juan Soto pairing that, as Castillo put it, clearly is not working.
"The Yankees need to address shortstop and could use another difference-making player with Aaron Judge nursing a rib injury," Castillo writes. "Lindor, who has full no-trade protection at this point, can stay in New York and play for a contender.
And the Mets would be able to shed a big contract while breaking up the Lindor dynamic with Juan Soto, which clearly is not working. How much of Lindor's remaining contract -- five years and $160 million after this season -- the Mets are willing to absorb will impact what kind of talent they want back.
The Yankees wouldn't offer George Lombard Jr. -- who can come up and play third base, another position of need. But maybe they can offer another shortstop in Dax Kilby, last year's No. 39 overall pick."
There’s also the matter of the Yankees potentially blocking Lombard once he’s ready for the majors, but that’s the sort of future concern they usually push aside when a win-now move is on the table.
If this ever became real, it would be a massive swing for the Yankees and a major reset for the Mets. And on paper, both sides could use one.
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