Yankees' buzz around a Francisco Lindor trade is getting harder to ignore

It's safe to say that the New York Mets won't make the playoffs this season.

The team is fundamentally flawed, and while it has plenty of talent, it just hasn't been able to mesh. Considering that, the Mets might finally pull the plug on the Francisco Lindor experiment and send his talents elsewhere.

That's why, despite some contradictory reports, Jorge Castillo of ESPN still believes the New York Yankees might be interested in upgrading their maligned shortstop position with the Puerto Rican superstar.

Yankees tied to a Francisco Lindor trade again

“The Yankees need to address shortstop and could use another difference-making player with Aaron Judge nursing a rib injury. Lindor, who has full no-trade protection at this point, can stay in New York and play for a contender,” Castillo wrote. “And the Mets would be able to shed a big contract while breaking up the Lindor dynamic with Juan Soto, which clearly is not working.”

Of course, it won't be as simple as just waiving the no-trade clause. The Mets still must take some of his mammoth contract, and it'll be interesting to see how much the Yankees are willing to give up to get him.

“How much of Lindor’s remaining contract — five years and $160 million after this season — the Mets are willing to absorb will impact what kind of talent they want back. The Yankees wouldn’t offer George Lombard Jr. — who can come up and play third base, another position of need. But maybe they can offer another shortstop in Dax Kilby, last year’s No. 39 overall pick,” Castillo added.

The Yankees should face facts and move on from Anthony Volpe, who continues to regress every season and may never live up to the hype. And since manager Aaron Boone doesn't seem to trust Jose Caballero as his full-time shortstop, the Yankees might as well go big-name hunting here.

Lindor is having a disappointing season, hitting just .233 with a .318 OBP, a .425 slugging percentage and a .743 OPS. Even so, he's still one of the best players in the game, and he may just need a change of scenery (and a move from Queens to the Bronx) to get back on track.