Francisco Lindor is now a member of the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians fans are reminded of that daily thanks to social media.
MLB and the Mets are excited about Lindor playing in a big market and he is being advertised as a star.
As he should be.
Indians fans need to move on and the season finally beginning will help get that process started.
However, Lindor recently made a comment that will have fans frustrated even though he is no longer in Cleveland.
Former #Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, now with the #Mets, admitted with reporters today in Florida that he struggled at the end of last season because he wasn't putting in the work.
Lindor: "I just got tired. I didn't give my best in the weight room. It showed."
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) February 23, 2021
As expected, Indians fans on social media were not happy.
An Honest Remark From the Shortstop
At least he is being honest?
This is still a frustrating thing to hear and it is clear the impending trade had an impact on Lindor’s play.
That would likely be true for anyone who knows change is coming.
Extension talks stalled and last year was basically one last hurrah that ended in disappointing postseason fashion.
Lindor struggling in 2020 was no secret.
He played in all 60 games and only managed to hit eight home runs and 13 doubles.
The shortstop also finished with a .750 OPS and a 1.1 WAR.
Those were not exactly numbers fans had come to expect from a player seen as a true star of the game.
Not doing the same work in the weight room is now another culprit after this admission.
Continuing to Move on in 2021
Francisco Lindor has reported to Port St. Lucie. Photos courtesy of the Mets: pic.twitter.com/kIwpmYROR6
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 21, 2021
There is only so much frustration fans can offer up about this.
Lindor was in a weird spot and he also had to deal with the reality of playing a season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plenty of stars had down years and focusing on baseball was not the easiest task.
This is not said in order to be a Lindor apologist.
He was still making a lot of money and was seen as a leader for the team.
Not working hard toward the goal of winning a World Series should never be accepted by fans, but 2020 was a bit of a different reality for everyone.
Lindor gave it his all for the Indians in some of the biggest games in franchise history.
The exit was always going to be an awkward one once it became clear he was not going to sign a new deal in Cleveland.
The focus now turns to Andres Gimenez and potentially Amed Rosario as the Indians look to figure out the future at shortstop without Lindor.
The former Indians star should thrive in New York and there is no need to hate on him moving forward.
Him playing in the National League makes this easier to do.
What Lindor said was frustrating.
That can’t be denied.
However, there is nothing fans can do about it now.
If Lindor has these motivation problems in New York, that is no longer something Indians fans have to be worried about.
Leave a Reply