Ken Rosenthal, a prominent baseball insider, has publicly refuted claims made by radio talk show host Mike Francesa regarding the New York Mets' intentions with star shortstop Francisco Lindor. Francesa asserted earlier in the week on his podcast that the Mets were not merely listening to trade offers for Lindor but were actively seeking them as the Major League Baseball trade deadline approaches.
Rosenthal, an insider for The Athletic and Fox Sports, addressed Francesa's report on the program "Foul Territory." He stated that he would not consider the information credible unless it originated from a beat reporter. "I don’t see it. The one person who reported it was Mike Francesa, the radio talk show host in New York," Rosenthal said. "With all due respect to Mike, he is not a beat reporter, and I have not seen any of this from any of the beat reporters; I have not heard it myself."
Mets owner Steve Cohen had previously commented on the relationship between Lindor and teammate Juan Soto. Speaking on "The Show" with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman, Cohen acknowledged some tension between the players last year but indicated that their relationship has improved this season. Francesa, however, expressed skepticism about this assertion.
"I don’t think they get along at all," Francesa said. "Everything I’ve heard all along is that they don’t like each other. So they can say what they want. I don’t think there’s any question the Mets are going to try very, very hard to trade Lindor."
Both Soto and Lindor have recently spoken about their dynamic. Soto told The Athletic that there were no issues between them last year and that their relationship is steadily improving. "When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away," Soto said, likening the process to building rapport.
Francesa's speculation that the Mets aim to trade Lindor stems from his belief that the rift between the players has reached a point necessitating a move. Lindor is in the fifth year of a 10-year, $341 million contract. The Mets currently hold a 38-54 record heading into their game against the Kansas City Royals. Cohen has stated his expectation that the team's two biggest stars are not going anywhere.