Francisco Lindor’s return to Cleveland with Mets brings back lament of missed World Series chance

CLEVELAND — Francisco Lindor’s thoughts of the six seasons he spent playing in this city begin and end with nearly winning a World Series title.

It was 2016 — Lindor’s second season in the major leagues — when he was a star player for the team formerly known as the Indians that took the Cubs to Game 7 of the World Series.

Cleveland fell short in an epic finale, but back then, Lindor figured he would spend his entire career with the organization and have many more chances.

“One hundred percent,” Lindor said Monday. “I loved it here, and it was just a matter of us coming to a good number. But it’s a business, and I truly understand their decision, and I am happy they sent me to New York.”

Lindor and Carlos Carrasco were traded to the Mets after the 2020 season in a deal that sent Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario to Cleveland. Before his first Mets season, Lindor received a 10-year contract extension worth $341 million.

Lindor, standing in a hallway outside the visitors’ clubhouse at Progressive Field before playing his first game in his old haunts since the trade, said he thinks “a lot” about how close he came to winning a World Series in Cleveland.

“Actually, where I am standing right now is where whole families and [Cubs] players were celebrating,” Lindor said. “Probably until after I win one or maybe even after that, I will still think about it. I think it’s part of the journey. That’s something you have got to keep in the back of your head so you can continue to grow from it and continue to be better day in and day out.”

Hardly returning to Cleveland as a player on top of his game, Lindor entered Monday with a .197/.273/.355 slash line with seven homers and 22 RBIs.

In recent days Lindor was moved to the leadoff spot in an effort to get him going offensively and allow Brandon Nimmo to hit from an RBI spot (third) in the batting order.

Lindor was asked about his anemic batting average.

“I don’t like it, and I will not be there,” Lindor said. “I will continue to climb. I will do my best day in and day out … [but] I’m not a numbers guy. I just focus on winning and trying to find ways to win, and the numbers will be there at the end of the year.

“It so happens that I don’t have enough sample size right now, so everything looks bigger than what it is. I have felt that I’ve had great at-bats the last week and a half, it’s just the results are not coming through but the process is great.”

Before Monday’s game Lindor reunited with Carrasco (who signed with Cleveland last winter after three seasons with the Mets). Carrasco is the Guardians’ scheduled starting pitcher on Tuesday.

“That’s my brother,” Lindor said. “We got sent to New York together, and he saw my best moments here and my worst moments here in Cleveland and then he saw some of my best moments in New York and my worst moments in New York as well. There’s a lot of emotions. This is my first year he’s not been with me during my 10-year career. The other guys I talk to, but Carrasco is my brother, for sure.”