Francisco Lindor reiterates he'll hit free agency if not extended before Opening Day

The 27-year-old left a lump in the throats of Mets fans for a much different reason, however, when he told reporters that "nothing serious" has occurred in contract negotiations. He reiterated he will enter free agency next fall if the Mets don't lock him down on a long-term deal before Opening Day.

This is far from a surprising development. Lindor has repeated this stance since the Mets traded with the Cleveland Indians for his services and right-hander Carlos Carrasco in January.

"I have never negotiated a contract during a season," Lindor said shortly after the trade. "Never. I've always said before spring training, but once it gets to a point in spring training, it's time to enjoy the ride and focus on winning and that's the only thing I should be focusing on, not how much money I'm going to get."

Opening Day is April 1, so the Mets have slightly over two weeks to put pen to paper on making Lindor the official face of the franchise or risk losing him for nothing after the final out of the season.