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The New York Mets are no strangers to paying up for elite players.

They did it last year with pitcher Max Scherzer, and they did it for shortstop Francisco Lindor.

After acquiring the shortstop from Cleveland in 2021, the Mets knew they needed to pay him.

That is exactly what they did, signing Lindor to a massive 10-year $341 million contract.

That deal made him one of the highest-paid players in baseball.

It seemed necessary though as Lindor was a four-time all-star in Clevland and coming off three top-10 MVP finishes.

But, his first season in New York did not go well.

Not only did the Mets fail to make the playoffs, but Lindor was an average player at best.

He hit .230 with 20 home runs, 63 RBIs, and a career-low OPS+ of 100 in 125 games.

Was it the pressure of playing in a big city that got to Lindor?

Well, he answered those questions with a bounce-back 2022 season.

In 2022, Lindor was back to his elite self, putting together a monster statistical season for the Mets.

He hit .270 with 26 home runs, and 107 RBIs, and scored 98 runs while missing only one game.

One of the biggest differences between 2021 and 2022 for Francisco Lindor was his performance in the first two months of the season. #Mets #LGM https://t.co/R65ziqz9FT

Matt Musico (@mmusico8) December 2, 2022

His efforts allowed him to finish ninth in NL MVP voting for the year.

It is hard to argue with the production of Lindor this past season, and with the contract, he signed in 2021.

The 29-year-old remains one of the top shortstops in the league and has been worth the lofty investment.

After a failure of a postseason run by the Mets that saw them get upset in the first round.

All eyes will be on this team to see how they respond in 2023.

Lindor needs another monster season to erase all doubts about the struggles he had in 2021.

More here:
Has Francisco Lindor Been Worth The Investment For The Mets? - The Cold Wire