Mets' Francisco Lindor makes good on promise to Jeff McNeil

It took a lot longer than many expected, but New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor finally made good on a promise to teammate Jeff McNeil. 

Per Anthony DiComo of the MLB website, Garrett Parcell, McNeil's agent, confirmed that his client received a blue Ford Bronco purchased by Lindor. It's the conclusion to what became somewhat of a curious story after Lindor confirmed he vowed to buy McNeil a vehicle if the utility man claimed the National League batting title for the 2022 season, a feat the 31-year-old accomplished.

Lindor repeatedly insisted as recently as after the club's regular-season finale in October that it was "just a matter of time" before he bought the promised vehicle for McNeil. Money certainly wasn't an issue regarding the transaction, as Lindor signed a 10-year contract extension that could be worth up to $341M with the Mets ahead of the 2021 campaign. Interestingly, the two players reportedly got into an altercation in the spring of that year that involved Lindor allegedly grabbing McNeil "by the throat" and pinning him "against a wall in the tunnel" at Citi Field. 

While the two seem to be fine with each other this fall, it was routinely rumored throughout the 2023 season that the Mets were dealing with supposed clubhouse issues. Ace Max Scherzer claimed after he and Justin Verlander were part of the team's pre-trade deadline fire sale that "we actually had a great clubhouse" in New York, but the Mets nevertheless parted ways with manager Buck Showalter after they finished the year with a record of 75-87. 

New Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns and new skipper Carlos Mendoza are now tasked with righting whatever went wrong for a franchise responsible for MLB's most expensive squad this past season. Perhaps a simple gesture such as Lindor keeping his promise to McNeil will prove to generate some positive chemistry for those who will be inside the Mets' clubhouse when players report for spring training early next year.