Cleveland Indians: Three possible destinations for Francisco Lindor
Where will the Cleveland Indians eventually trade Francisco Lindor to? Here are three possible options.
In a move that the baseball world has anticipated for a long while now, the Cleveland Indians have formally told other teams around Major League Baseball that star shortstop Francisco Lindor is available for trade over the coming months.
The 27-year-old shortstop is projected to make close to $20 million next season through arbitration, his final season before hitting one of the most highly anticipated free agent markets in recent memory next year.
Indians’ leadership has made it pretty clear for years now that the possibility of extending Francisco Lindor was very low, and the immediate slashing of payroll after the conclusion of the World Series was the signal to Indians fans that more drastic cuts were on the way.
What’s worse, from the perspective of the Indians, is that the organization isn’t exactly selling high on the four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. With only one year of control left and a high price tag for that one year of service that will surely make a few potential suitors think twice, the Indians handling of Lindor has been a bit of a nightmare.
But for one lucky team with the financial capabilities of signing Lindor to a long-term deal and the prospect depth to deal for him, someone will acquire not only one of the top shortstops in baseball, but one of the top overall players in the game.
Here are three organizations that make the most sense as likely trade partners with Cleveland for Francisco Lindor.
The New York Mets can make an instant statement by trading with the Cleveland Indians for Francisco Lindor.
How about starting with one organization who is already on the way towards a huge offseason, the New York Mets. New owner Steve Cohen is in place and already cleaning house in the front office, wasting no time at attempting to turn the organization around and into a powerhouse in the National League.
What better way to welcome fans (fingers crossed!) back to Citi Field than with a lineup featuring one of the brightest stars of the game in Francisco Lindor?
The Mets have many pieces on their major league roster similar to the types of players the Indians acquired from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Mike Cleavinger, decent to solid big league players that you have no issues when it comes to dealing them for an All-Star, but serve as an upgrade to an anemic Cleveland offense.
With a nice mixture of major league caliber shortstops, cost-controlled big league options, and promising prospects in the system, along with the financial backing to sign Lindor to a long-term deal, the New York Mets make the most sense as a potential landing spot.
Sure, the Mets could go out and bid for Trevor Bauer and/or J.T. Realmuto this offseason, and while they very well may, teams with high-priced pieces like Lindor will be looking to deal this winter and will be forced to take less in return if they are that desperate to cut cost.
Seems like an avenue Steve Cohen could take advantage of now before unloading the cash next offseason when the free agent pool is deeper.
Are the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies a match?
This move actually doesn’t make the most sense, but that’s exactly why it just might make enough sense to work. That’s because it involves the Philadelphia Phillies.
Philadelphia did well in signing Didi Gregorius to a one-year/$14 million deal last offseason as the former Yankee shortstop attempted to reestablish himself as an everyday shortstop. He did just that, playing in all 60 games for the Phillies in 2020 and slashing .284/.339/.488 with 10 home runs.
But Gregorius is now a free agent and sure to command a more sizeable contract. The Phillies have also lost J.T. Realmuto to free agency, one of the most talented players available on the market this offseason. With so few high-quality free agents out there, it’s possible that Realmuto gets a deal the Phillies just can’t match, leaving multiple holes in Philadelphia’s lineup.
Trading for Lindor gives the Phillies another superstar to pair with Bryce Harper and may soften the blow a bit for not re-signing Realmuto. But the issue comes in Lindor’s impending free agency. Giving up top prospects for a rental makes no sense for the Phillies, but neither does letting one high-priced free agent walk for financial reasons, only to give that big contract to another.
However, Lindor is entering the prime of his career and his price is low right now. It could be a lot easier to work out a long-term deal with him at some point before next offseason instead of waiting to compete for one of the highly sought after shortstops next winter.
The Cleveland Indians and LA Angels could match well in a potential trade.
The Los Angeles Angels need to be aggressive this winter. That line is said every early winter, yet pitchers like Julio Tehran are still trotted out to the mound charged with giving Mike Trout enough support to finally reach the playoffs.
Andrelton Simmons is now a free agent and while every financial resource that isn’t wrapped up in Trout, Rendon, Justin Upton, and Albert Pujols (which is a lot), should be thrown into the starting rotation, the Angels need to listen to their star player in Trout when he says it’s now or never to make a run.
The Angels have an improved farm system to deal from and plenty of outfield depth that could work to their advantage in a potential trade with the Cleveland Indians. As stated earlier, there’s plenty of reasons to believe that it won’t take an extreme haul to land Lindor, especially after looking at what Cleveland received for Corey Kluber and Cleavinger.
Also, the Pujols contract is coming off the books very soon, giving Los Angeles a little room for a Lindor extension.
The biggest hurdle is the fact that the Angels currently do not have a general manager in place. If they can settle on a decision soon, and it’s an aggressive one, making an immediate statement like landing Francisco Lindor will go a long way in generating instant excitement for 2021 and improving the roster in a major way.
Any one of these three teams is a possible landing spot for Lindor, but we also can’t ignore the likelihood of the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees sweeping in. The rich will always find a way to get richer.
There’s also the Toronto Blue Jays, who have plenty of young talent in their infield, but have already stated that they plan on being aggressive this offseason and have tried to work a trade for Lindor before. Don’t be shocked when the Blue Jays come out as one of the more aggressive teams this offseason.
Next. Three possible landing spots for Masahiro Tanaka. dark
However this situation shakes out, it doesn’t end well for the Cleveland Indians.