ATLANTA — Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto insist their relationship is fine.The New York Mets need it to be fine. While owner Steve Cohen said earlier in the week the star duo is “getting along much better,” he became the first team official to publicly acknowledge that things last year may not have always been fine.Either way, more time must pass before it’s clear that the relationship is actually fine because they have played just 15 games together this season.Earlier this season, one club source indicated the dynamic remained somewhat strained, and other club sources described a full-court press by recently fired manager Carlos Mendoza to help the two superstars build a stronger relationship, one that last year drew heavy scrutiny.The Mets' troubles don't solely belong to former manager Carlos Mendoza“There were no issues last year — at all,” Soto told The Athletic on Friday. “We didn’t have any beef or anything. Definitely, our relationship is getting better because it takes time.“When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away.”Lindor added, “The more time we spend together, it’s only natural that our relationship continues to grow. We’ve been teammates for two years now. Time has been on our side. I have nothing but respect for him. He’s my brother. He’s somebody I respected from a distance and respect here, inside.”While club sources corroborated that the relationship appears in good standing, the Soto-Lindor dynamic has lingered for two seasons. After the Mets’ disappointing end to last season, The Athletic reported a personality clash between Soto and Lindor. The New York Post also reported that the two players had a chilly relationship last year.Cohen told The New York Post earlier this week that “I think that’s a story that was last year’s story,” but club sources indicated the story bled early into this season, too. According to other players earlier this season, a somewhat frosty relationship between the two stars made it challenging at times to know whom to go to for leadership.