Hour 1: Are the Mets Shopping Francisco Lindor?

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Good afternoon, everybody.

**Michael Kay** (0:42)
This is indeed The Michael Kay Show. We thank you for joining us on this Friday, July 17, 2026 Me and you for two. Those are the rules of engagement, and it's the fastest two hours of sports talk radio. That's for sure. I have missed you guys over these last four days. I hope you've been taken care of by Jake Asmin. Had a very interesting, eclectic guest list. But today is made all the more special because it is a free for all Friday. You know the deal. Anything you want to know, I will try to have answers for you. 1-800-919-3776. That's the membership number to become a co-host. Let's get this baby rolling because there is a lot to do. All right, the Mets started off the second half of the season. The Mets and the Phillies were the only team that played yesterday. All the other teams, 28 other teams, got four days off for the All-Star break. The Mets and the Phillies were the exclusive game for Espn. They moved the game an hour earlier because of all the smoke from the wildfires in Canada. And it looked pretty bad in the final innings. But the bottom line is the game got in. The Mets won 4-1. They looked good. A couple of home runs by Francisco Alvarez. But really the big story came before the game when Chelsea Jane, who is a writer for Espn, said that the Mets have called a team or two to tell them that they're open for business for the trade deadline. Now, the trade deadline is August 3rd, 6 p.m. And they said that everybody is up for discussion except for Juan Soto, Carson Benj, AJ. Ewing, Nolan McClain, and Christian Scott, who pitched yesterday and pitched very well.
So that's not the story. The story who is not on that list, that's the story. And the name that jumps out at you is Francisco Lindor.
They have done everything possible to insult this guy. They've done everything possible to neuter this guy. And to have this story get out, where it's out there that they would listen to offers for him, but not to Juan Soto. Why don't you continually kick him in the face?
The owner came out before the season began and said that they would never name a captain. Now, it was long assumed that Francisco Lindor was gonna be the captain, but whatever issues there are between Lindor and Soto, whatever they may be, that is probably one of the reasons they're not naming a captain. Now, he kind of took some of the sting out. He said, I never believed in that, and I never will name a captain as long as I own the team. Never said that before. It was just out there that Lindor is gonna be the captain. But here's what I don't get.
He's open to discuss anyone, he being David Stearns. Lindor has a full no trade clause. Full. Not some teams that he can veto. Full no trade clause.
So what you're doing by not having met his name on that list of five, you're insulting him. You're trying to anger him. You're doing what you did to Brandon Nimmo, where it's almost like forcing his hand, if you don't want me. But if I was Francisco Lindor, I go, listen, baby, I am here through the 2031 season. You owe me $174 million. You don't want to play here, you release me. I'll go where I want to go. You're not trading me anywhere. I've had enough of this nonsense. You're not going to do this to me. Now, when he was asked a week ago about whether he would waive his no-trade clause, he said, I have no comment on that. His comment, now the Mets are off today, so I don't know if he'll be available today, but his comment when he meets with the media is go, I want to be a Met for the remainder of my career. That's all there is to it. Force their hand. Make them release you. Let's see if they have the guts. Let's see if they hate you so much that they would actually eat 174 million dollars, because I'll tell you this, any place they trade this guy, they're going to have to eat a significant portion of that 174 Significant. Kind of like the trades they made for Scherzer and Verlander. Now, those are only one year, essentially. They're going to have to chew a lot of 174 So, if you really want to make a statement, and you really think that this guy is the guy dragging you down, and that you have to make Juan Soto happy by getting him out of the room, release him. Then, let him choose where he wants to go. Don't put it in David Stearns' hands. He owes David Stearns nothing. And the last time that Steve Cohen, the owner, spoke to John Heyman and Joel Sherman, he said Soto and Lindor are not going anywhere. So it was a lie. It was a lie. Soto's not going anywhere, nor should he. But you're making it very clear that Lindor is available. How is he available with a no trade clause?