Cleveland Indians superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is on the trade market, with the Mets among the potential fits. Here's the latest...
Jan. 7, 12:29 p.m.
The Mets are acquiring Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians, SNY's Andy Martino reports.
Heading to the Indians will be Andres Gimenez and prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, Amed Rosario will also be going to the Indians.
Jan. 6, 2:49 p.m.
The Indians are ready and willing to trade Lindor, who has one year of team control left before hitting free agency, but his market has not yet developed, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Per Rosenthal, the Indians could have difficulty securing a package equal to the one the Dodgers received last offseason for Mookie Betts, due in part to the potentially small amount of suitors and financial climate.
Rosenthal adds the the Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are more focused on free agents or filling other positions, and that teams like the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins might not be fits.
Lindor is expected to earn roughly $19 million this season, with any acquiring team likely to also attempt to sign him to a long-term extension before the season ends.
Dec. 9, 3:31 p.m.
The Indians are now prepared to "aggressively" listen to offers for Lindor, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.
The above should not come as a surprise, with Cleveland all but certain to lose Lindor via free agency after the 2021 season if they don't trade him.
Lindor is set to earn close to $19 million in 2021, likely limiting the amount of teams seriously interested in trading for him.
As far as the Mets go as a potential suitor for Lindor, Sandy Alderson has mentioned a few times that the team could be more likely to be heavily involved in the free agent market than the trade market due in part to his reluctance to part with top prospects.
The above wouldn't necessarily preclude the Mets from trading for Lindor or another star, but signing free agents is certainly their preferred option right now.
Dec. 8, 10:59 a.m.
Toronto Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins discussed the Lindor rumors during an appearance Tuesday on MLB Network.
“I’m going to step out of the way and let you guys make some deals for us," Atkins said. "We think the world of that organization. We think the world of Frankie.”
The Blue Jays are reportedly after some of the biggest names on the market this offseason, including George Springer.
Nov. 30, 11:58 a.m.
The Cincinnati Reds are "prioritizing" the addition of a starting shortstop this offseason, and are interested in potential trades for Lindor and Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
The Reds are also interested in Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, and Didi Gregorius, three of the top shortstop options on the free agent market, per the report.
As it pertains to the Mets, team president Sandy Alderson said Sunday that they would likely be more active via free agency than through trades due to the team's desire to hold onto its top prospects.
Whether the above philosophy will preclude them from trading for Lindor is unclear, especially since the exact kind of package Cleveland is seeking in return is not known.
Nov. 11, 12:52 p.m.
The Mets, Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and St. Louis Cardinals are "viewed as the strongest candidates" to trade for Lindor, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com, who adds that some of those teams are not yet ready to begin serious discussions with the Indians.
Morosi notes that it would be wise for the Indians to wait until the Mets are able to "participate fully" before dealing Lindor.
Mets team president Sandy Alderson said Tuesday that he has already started interviewing candidates to fill out the front office and that the process should not take very long.
According to Morosi, the Indians want three players in exchange for Lindor who are MLB-ready or close to it.
The Mets' most highly thought of prospects do not fit the above criteria, so it's fair to believe they would need to trade from the big league team if Cleveland holds firm to the above ask.
Nov. 10, 11:46 a.m.
The Boston Red Sox "won't prioritize" trading for Lindor despite there being a strong connection between Lindor and returning manager Alex Cora, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
According to the report, the Red Sox intend to focus on improving their pitching.
Boston not being serious suitors for Lindor would be a potential boon for other interested teams since it would mean the removal of one of the richest teams from the process.
Nov. 9, 11:59 a.m.
The Indians would "love" for the Mets to be "heavily involved" in trade talks for Lindor, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com, who notes that it will take time for the Mets' new front office to set priorities.
.jpg)
New Mets owner Steve Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson officially took over on Friday, with former GM Brodie Van Wagenen and other senior baseball operations staff leaving the organization.
As far as the Indians wanting the Mets to be involved, that makes sense for two reasons.
First, the Mets -- with three young shortstops in the organization and other highly thought of prospects and younger major leaguers -- seem like an ideal fit as a trade partner.
Second, Cohen was not impacted financially by the shortened 2020 season that hit other owners hard due to losses incurred due in part to fans not being in attendance. That seems to set Cohen's Mets up well to take on Lindor's $19.5 million salary for 2021 and potentially sign him to a massive extension.
Nov. 5, 2:45 p.m.
According to sources, the Indians would ideally like a young, controllable shortstop or outfielder in exchange for Lindor, though the exact price will depend on the trading partner, SNY's Andy Martino reported.
Per Martino, the ask is expected to be higher than what the Los Angeles Dodgers paid for Mookie Betts last year, because Los Angeles took on David Price’s contract in that deal.
Nov. 5, 11:05 a.m.
The Cleveland Indians plan to trade Lindor before Opening Day, SNY's Andy Martino reported.
News of the Indians' intent to deal Lindor was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, with Nightengale noting that "several rival teams have been informed" of that intent.
That the Indians plan to trade Lindor, who is one year away from free agency, should not shock anyone. Cleveland, in a sign that it was in the midst of a money crunch, waived star reliever Brad Hand on Oct. 29 in order to clear $10 million from their payroll.
Now, with Lindor one year away from free agency and almost certain to not re-sign in Cleveland, the Indians need to get something of value for him.