MLB execs believe Mets will make bold Francisco Lindor trade decision

The New York Mets are going to be selling at this year's MLB trade deadline. That's been all but confirmed at this point. They already traded David Peterson, and more is set to come.

While the full list of players who are available for trade is a bit uncertain, Juan Soto and a few key youngsters are not likely to go anywhere. There's a notable omission for players the Mets plan to keep, and it's with Francisco Lindor. He might actually be a trade chip.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting that rival MLB executives believe the Mets will wind up trading away Lindor. However, there is a twist: that potential deal won't come in 2026, but rather over the offseason.

MLB execs believe Mets will trade Francisco Lindor over offseason

"Rival executives believe that Lindor will eventually be traded, but more likely in the offseason than now," Nightengale writes.

This is a noteworthy report from Nightengale, as there have been rumors about Lindor picking up steam coming out of the All-Star break.

Even though Nightengale's report might be a bit different than some others, which indicates the Mets aren't going to trade Lindor, his report notes that executives believe a trade will happen after the 2026 season.

But, for the August 3, 2026, MLB trade deadline, Lindor is not expected to be dealt, even according to these rival executives who believe Lindor is actually going to be on the move.

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The 32-year-old will stay in New York for at least the rest of the 2026 season, barring a complete surprise, but after that, there's a much greater chance he's dealt.

While things could change, Lindor doesn't look likely to be dealt this summer. Instead, next offseason could be the time for Lindor to be on the move.

The five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover is under club control through the 2031 season. He's struggled a bit this year, across 41 games, posting just 0.4 bWAR with a .654 OPS and .210 batting average.

If a team is interested in him, they will probably have to wait until after 2026 to have a real chance to acquire Lindor. It's not impossible to land him this summer, but all signs are pointing towards a Lindor deal, if one happens, occurring next offseason.

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