"After increasing chatter in recent years that Francisco Lindor, the $341 million cornerstone of Cohen's early rebranding of the Mets, would be next in line to take the captain's title, the owner flatly quashed that speculation Monday in no uncertain terms. "As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain," he said during a wide-ranging 23-minute session with reporters at Clover Park. "That was my decision.""
"While Cohen insisted Monday that his stance is not new, he's owned the team since November 2020 but never previously expressed this mandate. The timing, however, was brilliant. In one fell swoop, Cohen instantly disarmed any further public debate about who should succeed Wright in the captain's role and took the divisive issue off the table permanently for his administration."
"Full disclosure: A year ago, right around this same time in spring training, I wrote a column suggesting why Lindor deserved to be named captain, fueled in part by his MVP performance during the Mets' magical 2024 run to the NLCS. I mentioned that "Lindor's unique blend of skill, heart and charisma is unrivaled since Wright's 2018 retirement.""
There have been four Mets team captains: Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, John Franco and David Wright, whose No. 5 was retired after his 2018 retirement. Owner Steve Cohen announced that while he owns the team there will never be a team captain, stating "That was my decision." The pronouncement came during a 23-minute session with reporters at Clover Park and immediately halted speculation that Francisco Lindor, viewed as a $341 million centerpiece after an MVP-level 2024 run to the NLCS, would receive the role amid offseason roster changes and chemistry questions.
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