Francisco Lindor addresses Mets' underwhelming offseason

New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor spoke with reporters Thursday and insisted he doesn't "see myself as an underdog" coming off what many fans have deemed to be an underwhelming offseason for the organization. 

"It’s been the same since day one -- I want to win," Lindor said about his goals for 2024, according to Anthony DiComo of the official MLB website.

Lindor also mentioned that "not too many people were expecting" the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers to meet in the 2023 World Series when predictions were made roughly 12 months ago. The Rangers ultimately claimed the championship for the first time in franchise history. 

"That’s kind of where every team is going to be in the same boat," Lindor said. "It’s not about the expectations outside. It’s what you believe and what you think you can do. 

The 10-year contract extension that could be worth up to $341M that Lindor signed ahead of the 2021 campaign proved to be only the beginning for big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen, who later splashed cash to sign top-tier talents such as co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. 

After the 2023 Mets flopped, however, Cohen signed off on a fire sale that involved acquiring prospects and building for the future. 

Cohen then failed to land both two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency following last year's World Series. 

Nevertheless, players such as Lindor, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and All-Star closer Edwin Diaz have made it known they expect the club to compete for a playoff berth in 2024 regardless of what experts forecast during spring training. 

"Every year, you climb the stairs," Lindor said about his mindset following what became a disheartening 75-87 season. "For some people, it might seem like we’re going backwards, but I bought into the concept of a long-term deal. I wasn’t here for one year, two years, so I keep on seeing that we are moving in the right direction. We have changed people along the way, but I guess that’s part of the process. I’m fully on board. I respect what they’re doing, and I’m here to win."

As of Thursday afternoon, PECOTA projections shared by Baseball Prospectus gave the Mets a fighting chance to earn a wild-card spot. For that to happen, Lindor may need to build upon his numbers from 2023. 

According to Manuel Gomez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, Lindor led the National League last season with a 6.1 fWAR (Fangraphs' calculation of wins above replacement). 

Across 160 games, the four-time All-Star slashed .254/.336/.470/.806 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI.