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Examining Potential Trade Suitors for Francisco Lindor

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Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Coming into this offseason, there is no bigger name on the trade block than Francisco Lindor. The Cleveland Indians’ 26-year-old shortstop is in his last year before free agency, where he will likely command a monster long-term contract.

Always operating based on their small market, it is unlikely that Cleveland will sign Lindor to the extension he desires, so the expectation is that they will actively shop the superstar this winter.

The New York Mets were linked to Lindor at the Winter Meetings last year, but they never could come to terms on a deal. Now with Steve Cohen’s wallet behind them, the Mets are in great position to make a similar move as the Los Angeles Dodgers did this past offseason, trading for Mookie Betts and then signing him to a $365 million deal.

But the Mets are not going to be the only team in on Lindor, as anyone would want to add a four-time All-Star with two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers to their resume.

However, the teams that could pull off a blockbuster likely need to meet these criteria to get in the bidding:

  1. Need to upgrade at shortstop.
  2. Desire to win-now.
  3. Financial flexibility to sign Lindor long-term.

Let’s take a look around baseball and see how many teams make sense to acquire Lindor.

Who’s Set at Shortstop?

We are currently in the midst of a golden age of shortstops, as the position has never been healthier when it comes to young talent. If you really start digging through the teams that have young shortstops, the market for Lindor thins quickly.

Between Fernando Tatis Jr., Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Tim Anderson, Willy Adames, Trevor Story, Bo Bichette, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez, you can already cross the Padres, Dodgers, Nationals, White Sox, Rays, Rockies, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Astros and Cubs off the list of teams that would want to trade for Lindor.

The Atlanta Braves would see Lindor as an upgrade over Dansby Swanson, but is it really worth making a deal when Swanson is under control for two more years and will be far cheaper to sign long-term?

Probably not.

Gleyber Torres could easily slid over to second base for the Yankees, making room for Lindor at shortstop. But are they really going to let DJ LeMahieu walk in free agency after winning a batting title, just to give up prospects to acquire Lindor?

Again, probably not, especially considering the fact that they still owe a combined $506 million to Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, with Aaron Judge due an extension soon.

Just like that, you can reduce the list of Lindor suitors by a dozen.

Who is Ready to Contend Right Now?

It is very rare that we would see a rebuilding team make a blockbuster trade to acquire a player like Francisco Lindor. The shortstop is likely to make over $20 million in arbitration, before even signing a contract extension and it is going to take a pretty nice package of prospects or other young MLB talent to acquire him.

With that in mind, it would be unlikely for any of these rebuilding teams to make a move for Lindor.

  • Seattle Mariners
  • Texas Rangers
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Arizona Diamondbacks

We are now down to just 10 teams the could potentially be in the market to add Lindor.

Who Can Afford to Extend Lindor?

This is where this list get’s tricky. Any of the remaining teams could conceivably make a move for Lindor, even if it’s as a rental. Although the package Cleveland would get for Lindor as a rental is likely less than they would desire.

The Philadelphia Phillies could absolutely use Lindor, but after their owners comments about trying to resign J.T. Realmuto, it is clear that they are not in market to add significant payroll.

The Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics were all playoff teams this year, but none of them are in position to sign Lindor to a contract that could exceed $300 million.

Finally the Cincinnati Reds may make a move to trade for Lindor, but it is more likely that they will try to retain free agent Trevor Bauer than give up prospects to sign the shortstop to a mega-deal.

The hypothetical Lindor sweepstakes are now down to a Final Four.

San Francisco Giants

When we think of big-market teams, the San Francisco Giants don’t always jump out. Yet they have one of the most committed fan bases in baseball and have been known to spend money in the past.

With players like Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria coming off the books over the next few years, San Francisco has the flexibility to go all-in on Lindor and try to be competitive right now with their aging core.

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Would Cleveland be interested in a trade package that included Crawford as a one-year stopgap at shortstop, plus a collection of top prospects?

That certainly would be the type of deal that could satisfy the Indians short-term and long-term goals.

St. Louis Cardinals

While Paul DeJong was an All-Star in 2019, his career pales in comparison to that of Francisco Lindor. The Cardinals would love to make that type of an upgrade to their roster, as Lindor could put them over the top when it comes to competing in the NL Central.

St. Louis has been known to make these types of trades in the past, as they acquired Matt Holliday, Jason Heward, Marcell Ozuna and Paul Goldschmidt under similar circumstances.

Heyward and Ozuna were ultimately acquired as rentals, while they signed both Holliday and Goldschmidt to long-term deals. You could see either scenario playing out here with Lindor, as they will make the trade just to go for a World Series in 2021.

If they can come terms on an extension they feel is reasonable, St. Louis could turn Lindor into their next franchise player.

Regardless you can bet that the Cardinals will be in the mix in these negotiations, just as they have been with other superstars such as Giancarlo Stanton in the past.

Los Angeles Angels

Although they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, the Los Angeles Angels are always looking to contend with Mike Trout. Last offseason, they signed Anthony Rendon to a seven-year, $245 million contract through free agency.

Could they now pair Rendon with Lindor on the same side of the infield?

Andrelton Simmons is set to hit free agency, so the Angles will have a vacancy at shortstop, as well as $15 million coming off their books. There are also just one year away from finally being done paying Albert Pujols and his annual $30 million salary.

Baseball America currently has the Angels ranked as the 17th-best farm system in the MLB, so they may not have the best package of prospects to give Cleveland.

Still, if there is a will there’s a way, and the Angels appear to be the most likely team to overpay for Lindor.

New York Mets

Looking at all of the criteria outlined, the New York Mets are really the best suited team to trade for Lindor this winter. They clearly are looking to win-now and with Steve Cohen in place, the Mets can sign Lindor to whatever contract he desires.

When the Mets asked about Lindor during the Winter Meetings last year, the trade package Cleveland wanted was Amed Rosario plus a few top prospects. With the ascent of Andres Gimenez, New York now has two MLB-caliber starting shortstops that could entice the Indians as the starting point of a trade.

Considering the lack of viable trade partners, the Mets could have the leverage to make a deal for Lindor on their terms, acquiring a generational talent at the most important position.

While he still won’t come cheap, Francisco Lindor could very well be the face of Cohen’s newfound Mets as they transition away from the Wilpon era.

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