After David Peterson was traded to the Chicago Cubs in June, Francisco Lindor quietly became the longest-tenured player on the New York Mets, a reminder of just how dramatically the organization has changed over the past few seasons. Lindor now stands as the veteran face of a club that appears headed for even more changes before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
The Mets enter Friday with a disappointing 43-60 record, and there is little expectation that the roster will look the same once the deadline passes. With the season slipping away, former Mets star Darryl Strawberry believes the team’s highest-paid players need to take control of the clubhouse.
Darryl Strawberry Challenges Mets’ Biggest Stars
Speaking with reporters, Strawberry pointed directly to Lindor and Juan Soto as the players who must lead the turnaround.
“Their veteran players need to be leaders,” Strawberry said. “They need to step up and say, ‘Hey, we’re the Mets. We need to start going out there. We need to start dominating and kicking people’s butts because everyone is laughing at us.’… You’ve got to get tired of losing.”
The comments come after an offseason that completely reshaped the franchise. Whether fans agreed with president of baseball operations David Stearns’ decisions or not, the reality is that several familiar faces are gone. Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil are no longer part of the roster, leaving Lindor and Soto as the club’s biggest stars and most recognizable leaders.
Uncertainty Still Surrounds Francisco Lindor
Lindor has carried the expectations that come with a massive contract since agreeing to a 10-year extension worth as much as $341 million before the 2021 season. Soto arrived with even greater financial expectations after signing a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in December 2024. Those deals place both players at the center of the franchise’s present and future, regardless of the current standings.
Even so, Lindor’s long-term future has become a topic of speculation. Rumors continue to suggest the Mets could explore trading him during the upcoming offseason, although team owner Steve Cohen reportedly wants to keep Lindor and Soto together for at least another year. Whether those reports ultimately prove accurate may depend on how the organization views its rebuilding timeline after another difficult campaign.
Strawberry Says the Mets Need a New Mentality
For Strawberry, however, the issue extends beyond roster construction. He believes the Mets need a different mindset every time they take the field.
“When you run on the field, you have to think, ‘We’re going to beat the brakes off of you,'” Strawberry said. “That’s what you have to have. That’s the attitude you have to have. They have the talent to do that. I don’t know if they have the mentality, [but] if they get that part of it, they’ll be successful.”
Those remarks reflect concerns that have surrounded the Mets throughout their disappointing season. Talent alone has not translated into victories, and Strawberry’s comments suggest he believes confidence, accountability, and leadership are just as important as the lineup card.
The franchise has not won a World Series since 1986, the championship team that Strawberry helped lead. Nearly four decades later, the Mets once again find themselves searching for an identity while facing uncertainty about the direction of the roster. As the trade deadline approaches and difficult decisions loom, Lindor and Soto remain at the center of those questions. Whether they can help establish the mentality Strawberry believes is missing may shape not only the remainder of this season but also the organization’s plans heading into next year.
