PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — If there’s anything Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are on the same page about this spring, it’s what they think about this new-look Mets roster.
Both superstars spoke at Mets camp for the first time on Sunday and praised the club’s front office for all the moves they made this past offseason.
“[President of baseball operations David Stearns and assistant general manager Eduardo Brizuela], they sat down and made great moves definitely,” Soto said. “They tried hard, big names, big players. They missed, but they found a way to get a better team. I think we have a really good team. We have everything we need right now. When you see the roster, I think we’re really complete.”
“Whenever Stearns, [owner Steve] Cohen and the whole front office make a decision, it’s for the better of the organization,” said Lindor. “I feel like this team is better than last year.”
Lindor proceeded to walk through the Mets’ roster position-by-position, detailing exactly why he believes this is a better team than it was a year ago.
“I feel like we have what it takes,” the shortstop said. “[The front office] addressed the defense, they addressed the base running, they addressed the hitting, they addressed the pitching.”
For every notable acquisition, from ace Freddy Peralta to closer Devin Williams and new infielders Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco, there were subtractions. The Mets didn’t act with sentimentality this past winter, saying goodbye to fan favorites Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz in free agency while shipping Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil off via trade.
Soto only experienced that core for one season, a disappointing year where the Mets missed the playoffs, but Lindor was teammates with those four ex-Mets for several years.
Those teams were competitive and had some good years, including the Mets’ memorable playoff run to the Championship Series in 2024, but ultimately, they didn’t win enough to justify running it back with the same group again this year. In a market where rings are considered the standard, that core failed, consistently falling short of expectations.
“We definitely didn’t win, we didn’t do what it takes to win championships,” Lindor said. “Ultimately it comes down to winning.”
Similar to the excitement regarding New York’s overhauled roster, Lindor and Soto are looking ahead when it comes to the Mets’ clubhouse. Reports surfaced this past offseason about issues behind the scenes with leaders like Lindor and Soto not getting along as closely as the Mets would’ve liked.
Lindor explained that while everybody isn’t best friends in the clubhouse, everyone is respectful and pulling for the guy next to him with one common goal. That won’t change this year regardless of how many new faces are in the clubhouse this spring.
Soto was more blunt with his clubhouse assessment.
When asked about the comment Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made recently, calling the clubhouse too “corporate,” Soto said simply that the 2025 season is in the past.
“That’s last year,” he said. “We forget about it. We focus on 2026.”
How do the Mets prevent any clubhouse issues from popping up in the future?
“Have fun,” Soto said. “Forget about all the drama and everything. Focus on the game and win some ballgames.”