As the 2024 season gets underway in spring training for the Mets at Port St. Lucie, shortstop Francisco Lindor says it doesn’t matter what happened last year and is grateful for a “fresh start” to the season – one that he hopes ends much better than 2023.
And just because the team looks a little different than in recent years and expectations aren’t as sky high as they were the last couple of seasons, New York still feels like there’s unfinished business to take care of.
“We feel like we haven’t finished the task,” Lindor said on Tuesday’s episode of The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “We feel like we are in a position where we need to go get it.”
The 30-year-old mentioned that, as always, nothing will be handed to them which is especially true this season with a roster that lacks the star power it had in years past. Although, one could argue, look where that got them.
However, what the Mets’ roster may lack in “sexiness,” they make up for in depth, potential and, so far, good vibes.
“It’s a fresh start so it [doesn’t] matter what we did last year or what the expectations are supposed to be,” Lindor said. “You have the opportunity to create something good on Day 1 and I know right now, it feels like a good camp.”
Part of that camaraderie that’s being built is thanks to new manager Carlos Mendoza who has preached creating relationships since he walked through the door. A first-year skipper, Mendoza, the former bench coach with the Yankees, has been at the forefront of ingratiating himself with his new team and his players are taking notice.
“I think he’s doing a really, really good job of creating relationships. Getting to know his players, getting to know the coaches.” Lindor said. “… He seems like he has a good handle of the daily basis. There’s been a good flow. He understands how things need to move and he’s also asking questions.”
Unlike Mendoza, Francisco Alvarez is no longer a new face at camp this season after his impressive rookie campaign last year that had its ups and downs.
The 22-year-old catcher is ready to build off the successes and failures he encountered last season with an almost entirely new pitching staff this season and Lindor has seen a difference in mentality in his second-year teammate.
“He seems very locked in to his tasks,” Lindor said. “Where last year I felt like he was getting pulled in a lot of directions, it was easy to pull him out of his routine. This year he’s not getting pulled and I don’t know if that’s because he’s not the new face in town anymore, or because he learned that it’s on his own time, whenever he wants he will get it done. He looks really good right now, I’m excited for him, I feel like he’s going to have a good year… I feel like the ceiling is extremely high, and he’s nowhere near it.”
Another player that will surely be locked in this year is Pete Alonso who still has not agreed to a contract extension with the Mets and who will likely begin and possibly end the season without a deal to keep him in Queens in place.
As someone who was able to get an extension done almost immediately after landing in New York, Lindor was asked about contract negotiations, particularly in a walk year, and how that could affect a player during the season.
“From a player standpoint, you got to understand who you are,” he said. “I think that’s the most important thing. Understanding who you are and how you perform thinking about [contract] numbers. If you don’t perform [well] thinking about numbers then you should try and get [a deal] done in the offseason, at the beginning of spring training and then don’t worry about it the rest of the season. But if you can talk about numbers and you can talk about the future while you’re in the thick of it, then sure go ahead and play through it and talk about money in the middle of the year, that shouldn’t be a problem.
“However, I think Pete is in a unique situation because, first of all, not everybody gets to go through this process… Second, in a way, he can control his own destiny, and that’s beautiful. If he doesn’t sign now, he’s going to get an opportunity in free agency again with the Mets. [Brandon] Nimmo did it, and there’s other players that have done it as well. He’s in a really cool position, I just wish nothing but the best and for him to have an outstanding year for us and have him maximize what he can maximize. He’s an amazing person and an amazing teammate.”
