Francisco Lindor isn’t ready to take the field for the Mets, as he continues to recover from a strained oblique, but when he is, he’ll be lined up alongside a childhood friend.
The New York shortstop could barely contain his excitement when he found out that Javier Baez, a fellow shortstop that Lindor has known since they were boys learning the game in Puerto Rico, was on his way to Queens after the Mets struck a deal with the Cubs before the trade deadline on Friday.
“I’m super excited, man,” Lindor said. “I couldn’t be happier. I’ll be playing alongside a good friend of mine, a great person, a great baseball player, and someone who is going to help us win. It can’t get any better.
“I’m very happy. I cant wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.”
The two played against each other growing up in Puerto Rico, and both moved to Florida before high school, where they continued to play against each other, sometimes together during travel ball. Lindor has shared Thanksgiving dinner with Baez and his family, and the two shared a notable chemistry representing Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
The two were also joined in the 2011 MLB Draft, when Lindor was taken eighth overall by Cleveland and Baez ninth overall by Chicago.
“I’ve known him since we were little,” Lindor said. “I’m very excited to have him as a teammate and to watch him up close for a very long time, not just eight games like the [World Baseball Classic].”
The two have had enough of seeing each other as opponents, from youth to high school and eventually the 2016 World Series, when Baez’s Cubs overcame a 3-1 series deficit to take down Lindor’s Indians in a thrilling game seven, one of the most memorable in baseball history. Now, the two dynamic defenders will represent one of the best middle infield duos in the game.
“He’ll bring a lot of energy, first of all,” Lindor said. “Leadership, winning culture. He’s a winner. He wins. He’s gonna bring great defensive plays and big-time hits. He’s a great ballplayer. He might not be having the season he wants to have, but he’s gonna drive in a lot of runs, hit a lot of home runs and come in clutch.”
Both Baez and Lindor haven’t played to their typical levels of production this season, with Lindor slumping badly all season, though he picked it up before his injury, while Baez has flexed his usual power with 22 home runs, but has been only a tick above league average with a 108 OPS+. But his close friend has no doubt that a change of scenery and a jolt of being back in a playoff race will help the real Baez shine in New York.
“At the end of the day, we all know what he’s capable of doing,” Lindor said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him do it on the biggest stage.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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