Mets' Projected Starting Lineup After Francisco Lindor Trade

The New York Mets completed a blockbuster trade Thursday to acquire shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Baseball Team.

The Mets will send shortstop Amed Rosario, versatile infielder Andres Gimenez, starting pitcher Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene to Cleveland.

The trade gives New York a variety of options with its batting order depending on whether manager Luis Rojas places Lindor in the leadoff role or the No. 3 spot. Here's one potential lineup:

• 1. Francisco Lindor (SS)
• 2. Michael Conforto (RF)
• 3. Pete Alonso (1B)
• 4. Dominic Smith (LF)
• 5. Brandon Nimmo (CF)
• 6. Jeff McNeil (2B)
• 7. J.D. Davis (3B)
• 8. James McCann (C)

If Rojas opts to use Lindor down in the order, it could look like this:

• 1. Brandon Nimmo (CF)
• 2. Jeff McNeil (2B)
• 3. Francisco Lindor (SS)
• 4. Michael Conforto (RF)
• 5. Pete Alonso (1B)
• 6. Dominic Smith (LF)
• 7. J.D. Davis (3B)
• 8. James McCann (C)

In addition, let's check out the Mets' updated starting rotation:

• 1. Jacob deGrom
• 2. Carlos Carrasco
• 3. Marcus Stroman
• 4. Steven Matz
• 5. David Peterson

The acquisition showcases the advantage of having a new billionaire owner in Steve Cohen, who Forbes estimates has a net worth of $14.6 billion, in the middle of a pandemic when many other clubs are looking to trade assets because of the continued financial uncertainty.

Lindor is entering his final season of club control via arbitration in 2021, but the Mets could instead opt to explore a long-term contract extension with the four-time All-Star.

The latest additions headline a busy offseason for New York, which also acquired McCann and relief pitcher Trevor May to bolster its roster in the highly competitive National League East.

It may be too soon to label the Mets as the division favorite, but at minimum, the trade has allowed them to leapfrog the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals to serve as the biggest threat to the three-time defending NL East champion Atlanta Braves.