CLEVELAND, OH – The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to make a run at Indians’ shortstop Francisco Lindor this offseason according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
Lindor, 25, is under contract for two more seasons, which has led to plenty of speculation about his future in Cleveland.
Morosi notes that the Dodgers’ plans for the 2020 season are in the “early stages,” but the organization is expected to make moves.
This isn’t the first and it won’t be the last report involving a potential Lindor trade. The four-time All-Star is one of the best players in baseball. He played hurt at times last season and is everything any team could ever want in a star shortstop.
In the last three seasons, Lindor has batted .279 (.855 OPS) and is averaging 34 home runs, 85 RBI and 21 stolen bases.
Will the Indians be able to keep Lindor long-term? It’s a question fans have been asking for more than a year.
It would take a haul to land the Indians’ star this offseason. Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff know how valuable Lindor is and how important he is to the team.
“We obviously would love Frankie to be here for his entire career and for as long as possible,” Antonetti said earlier this month. “I think Frankie really likes it here, too. He has always communicated that.
“Hopefully, with that as the foundation, there would be an opportunity for us to align on something, but we just haven’t been able to yet.”
Would the Indians listen to a trade package that involved shortstop Corey Seager and a package of prospects?
The Dodgers have plenty ammo in their farm system to make a significant offer. Gavin Lux emerged for Los Angeles late in the season and earned a big league look in September, despite being 21-years-old. He’s the top prospect in the Dodgers organization and the number two prospect in all of baseball according to MLB Pipeline.
Right-hander Dustin May and catcher Keibert Ruiz could also pique the Indians’ interest.
Cleveland isn’t going to give Lindor away just because other teams are interested in his services. This front office will hold onto him until they get a proposal that they can’t turn down.
They held onto Trevor Bauer until they got an offer they couldn’t refuse. Expect that to be the case with Lindor, regardless of the reports that surface this offseason.
