Two veterans embracing leadership roles amid Mets' resurgence

For a piece published Monday, Will Sammon of The Athletic detailed how outfielder Brandon Nimmo and shortstop Francisco Lindor began paying for the New York Mets' team dinners on road trips amid the club's positive run of form.

"One thing I’ve tried to make a point of is getting the guys together for a dinner on the road trips," Nimmo explained. "I was like, you know what? It would be good for us to just take them out to a big-league dinner, all of us get together, it’s on me or Francisco. Francisco and I as leaders, just getting the guys together more and worrying about the other guys a little bit more."

In the spring of 2023, Nimmo and Lindor were both mentioned as potential future Mets captains due to what they offer the organization on and off the field. Such discussions occurred before the team allegedly was impacted by supposed clubhouse issues ahead of a fire sale that was executed before last summer's trade deadline.

More recently, Lindor called a players-only meeting on the same night that the Mets fell to 22-33 on the season back on May 29. New York ended the weekend at 44-44 and went into Monday afternoon's matchup at the Pittsburgh Pirates two games back in the battle for the National League's final wild-card playoff berth.

"I still have to take care of what I am doing," Nimmo continued. "But I’ve had a lot of time here now so it’s trying to pass that on to the next guys and help in any way you can. Francisco and I are in the position where we want to take the guys out and we want to build some camaraderie. … It has felt emotionally tangible. And then seeing some results on the field is nice as well."

Of course, the two can afford to pay for the occasional meal. Lindor signed a 10-year contract extension that could be worth up to $341M before the start of the 2021 season, while Nimmo inked an eight-year deal reportedly worth $162M in December 2022.

Some believe Nimmo and Lindor were robbed of All-Star Game roster spots this summer. It will be interesting to see how the two respond to that disappointment beginning with Monday's contest at PNC Park.