Francisco Lindor raises eyebrows about Mets' pursuit of Angels' Shohei Ohtani

Star shortstop Francisco Lindor seems quite unsure about the New York Mets making a noteworthy challenge to sign Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in free agency. 

"Are we going for it? They said, 'no,' right? I think the message from the front office is nothing is happening this offseason, so we’ll see," Lindor recently said about the subject, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. 

Following the Mets' pre-trade deadline fire sale that included shipping co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to contenders, Scherzer revealed he learned from New York general manager Billy Eppler that the Amazins now intend to use 2024 as "a kind of transitory year." Big-spending Mets owner Steve Cohen later promised season-ticket holders in a letter that he will field a "formidable" team next year, and multiple insiders have since insisted there's little chance Cohen punts on 2024. 

Of course, all of that talk occurred before Ohtani suffered an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his right elbow that could cost him at least $100M total and possibly sideline him for all of next season depending on how he chooses to recover from his latest setback. 

"There is so much that can happen," Lindor said about the Mets' possible pursuit of Ohtani. "He’s definitely exciting and he’s a special player and I am sure anybody would be happy to have him in any clubhouse." 

Lindor added he "100%" would help recruit Ohtani to the Mets, if asked, but New York outfielder Brandon Nimmo reminded everybody it's thought the 29-year-old unicorn wants to stay on the West Coast. 

"Because of Steve [Cohen] we’re looked at as one of the teams that can afford him, but there are going to be quite a few teams that want his abilities and I think it will come down to where he wants to be," Nimmo said about Ohtani. 

On paper, Cohen easily can outspend any other owner to land a player such as Ohtani. If, however, Cohen plans to be a bit more frugal until he feels the Mets are again ready to compete with the likes of the first-place Atlanta Braves, he may consider Ohtani's free-agency journey as a "wrong place, wrong time" scenario.