Guardians still lacking face of franchise three years after trading Francisco Lindor | Jeff Schudel

May 18—The Guardians and Mets, who begin a three-game series in the New York borough of Queens on May 19, have a couple things in common. Neither team is living up to preseason expectations, and both are trying to convince themselves that by the end of the long season each will be a playoff team.

The difference between the Guardians and Mets is more than $250 million in payroll, but that's about it. After games played May 17, the Guardians were 19-23, and third in the American League Central Division. The Mets were 21-23 and third in the NL East.

The Mets have the highest payroll in the Major Leagues at $346,914,690. The Yankees are second of the 30 teams with a payroll of $279,090,124. The Guardians check in 26th at $90,571,090. The league average is $160,879,737.

A fairly large chunk on payday for the Mets goes to Francisco Lindor. He is making $32 million this season and will for each succeeding season through 2031. That breaks down to roughly $615,385 a week over 52 weeks.

This is the third season since the team then known as the Indians traded Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Mets in January 2021. The Indians got a bountiful return considering they would have gotten nothing had they held onto Lindor for the 2021 season, knowing they could never have afforded to re-sign him. He alone is making more than a third of the Guardians' payroll.

The Indians got starting shortstop Amed Rosario and starting second baseman Andres Gimenez plus minor league prospects Isaiah Greene, an outfielder, and right-handed pitcher Josh Wolf. Wolf, currently on the team's seven-day injury list, is 4-0 with the Guardians' High-A Lake County Captains. Greene has appeared in 23 games with the Captains and is hitting a scant .158.

The Indians/Guardians are 191-175 since trading Lindor. The Mets are 199-169 since acquiring him.

Neither team made the playoffs in 2021. Cleveland was 80-82. The Mets were 77-85. Last year the Guardians won the AL Central at 92-70. They swept the Rays in a best-of-three wild-card series and then lost to the Yankees in Game 5 of the best-of-five ALDS. The Mets, 101-61 in the 2022 regular season, were bounced by the Padres in the wild-card series.

The Lindor trade might work out for the Mets in the long run, but so far the contributions of Rosario and Gimenez have been more than ample.

Still, something has been missing since the Indians had to part with Lindor. Lindor was the face of the Indians for six seasons. His smile lit up the clubhouse and the dugout. He was friendly with fans, His talent, personality and smile were a good combination for businesses seeking him to endorse their products. The Guardians don't have that franchise face anymore.

Lindor is a star with the Mets, but he isn't the face of the franchise. Pete Alonso is. Lindor is hitting .224 this season with six home runs and 31 RBI. Alonso is hitting .233, but he leads the Majors with 15 home runs. He hit a walk-off three-run blast in the bottom of the 10th as the Mets stunned the Rays, 8-7. Alonso led both leagues with 131 RBI last season.

Lindor was born in Puerto Rico. He and his family moved to Florida when he was 12. He learned to speak English fluently.

Guardians star third baseman Jose Ramirez isn't wired like Lindor. Proof of that is he signed a seven-year, $140 million contract to stay with the Guardians last year when he might have been able to make an extra $50 million or more on the open market.

Ramirez plays hard every game, whether at the plate or in the field. He is outgoing with his teammates, but, except when he is on the field, the spotlight doesn't find him the way it found Lindor.

Because Ramirez chooses his privacy over notoriety, the Guardians haven't really had a face of the franchise since they traded Lindor.