Former Mets executive breaks Blue Jays’ fans hearts with intel on a past miss

After being left out on the postseason for the first time in three years, it's been painful for the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans to see their failed free agent signing, Shohei Ohtani, lighting it up for the Dodgers in the 2024 MLB Playoffs. Just seeing what he has done singlehandedly for the Dodgers this season, Ohtani would have been a huge difference-maker for the Jays this year had they landed the two-way sensation this past offseason.

We are now learning that Ohtani wasn’t the only big name free agent that the Jays have missed out on in recent years.

Former New York Mets (interim) GM Zack Scott recently revealed that star shortstop Francisco Lindor was almost traded to the Jays more than three years ago and likely would have also signed a long-term extension with Toronto as well in the process.

That was before Scott and the Mets swooped in to grab the four-time All-Star in January of 2021 in a blockbuster trade. The Mets believed that Lindor wouldn’t have lasted until free agency the following offseason so they had to make the move to get him. They would then promptly follow it up by signing him to a 10-year extension a couple months later to firmly secure his services for the next decade.

Blue Jays narrowly missed out on Francisco Lindor

The Jays can sure mark this one down as another one of those what could have been. Especially seeing how Linder has played a key role for the Mets down the stretch this season, along with providing significant contributions in their spirited playoff run to date.

Despite struggling during his first season with his new club in 2021 as he adjusted to his new environment in the National League, Lindor has gradually revert back to his dominant form in the past three seasons with the Mets. From 2022 to 2024, he has scored 313 runs along with registering 97 doubles, 90 home runs, 296 RBI and 76 stolen bases, all while batting close to .266 along the way. More importantly, Lindor had been relatively durable, playing more than 152 games in each of the past three seasons. On top of that, he is also a two-time Gold Glove winner, showing that he could get things done on both sides of the field on a daily basis.

Had the Jays managed to get Lindor, their offensive struggles during the past couple of years likely wouldn’t have been as prominent. On top of that, he has shown great success batting once again in the leadoff spot with the Mets in 2024, a spot that he was very comfortable with during his time with the Cleveland Guardians. As a result, the Jays would have had their perfect George Springer replacement right there. Added to the uncertainty of Bo Bichette and the aftermath of his forgettable 2024 season, Lindor would have guaranteed stability and continuity in the infield regardless of whatever ends up happening.

As Lindor continues to thrive in the spotlight for the Mets, the Jays and their fans can now only sit back and watch in awe. It should also serve as a key reminder to them that if they want to get back into being an organization of significance, they will need to be proactive in more ways than one this upcoming offseason.