What if the same New York Yankees that signed Gerrit Cole also traded for the best SS? Here is a trade offer Cleveland might actually take for Lindor.
It would be viewed as an act of gluttony to see a team in the New York Yankees, the same team that swiped the best available pitcher in free agency also piece together the best offer for Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor.
The team would be an embarrassment of riches; an All-Star at every position. A team filled with former MVP’s and Cy Young contenders, and most definitely a version of the Evil Empire the game has never seen.
This offseason, the Cleveland Indians have been shopping some of their top players. Last week, they traded away 2x Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers for Delino DeShields and Emmanuel Clase, a young flamethrower out of the Dominican Republic.
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This has caused many to speculate of the Indians would fulfill on their promise of trading Lindor prior to having to fork over top dollar for him in arbitration and then in free agency. Linked to be interested in the young shortstop are powerhouse teams like the Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Teams like the Cinncinati Reds and the New York Mets are said to be interested as well.
Today, we’re going to focus on the one team that seems hell-bent on securing it’s 28th World Series title in 2020, the New York Yankees.
If the team is willing to continue spending beyond the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold, then they actually have viable MLB-ready pieces to offer the Indians for Lindor.
Here’s what a deal could look like:
- Indians get: Miguel Andújar, Clint Frazier, and Deivi Garcia
- Yankees get: Francisco Lindor
In addition, the Indians can get a fourth player in Albert Abreu, Luis Medina, or Luis Gil.
Some will feel that young stud Deivi Garcia, who has earned comparisons to Pedro Martinez, would be too much to offer the Indians for a player who could potentially be a rental. However, with the signing of Gerrit Cole for 9-years, the team doesn’t have an immediate need for the 20-year-old prospect.
A deal of this kind is unlikely to happen. But if the New York Yankees really wanted to, they could make the Indians this offer; an offer they won’t be able to refuse.