Never say never when it comes to the Cleveland Indians potentially trading Francisco Lindor.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the All-Star shortstop’s name has been mentioned in preliminary talks and the “possibility exists” that he could be moved, although the chances are still slim.
The MLB trade deadline is at 4 p.m. on Monday, but Feinsand added that fact the Indians are willing to entertain moving Lindor mid-season is notable.
Which teams calling for Lindor is anyone’s guess, but the pricetag for the 26-year-old four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove is expected to be high.
Lindor is under team control for one more year before he is eligible to become a free agent and the belief is that the Indians will not offer him an extension and will therefore trade him at some point before he hits the open market.
The Boston Red Sox used a similar approach after being unable to come to terms on an extension with Mookie Betts.
With the Indians entering Sunday atop the AL Central, there is no urgency for them to deal their best player and it is seen as more of a move that would likely happen in the offseason.
Still, being in contention has not stopped the Indians from big-time deals at the deadline in the past. Last year, they traded away Trevor Bauer at the deadline and Mike Clevinger’s name has surfaced as a potential trade chip this year.
Lindor’s numbers are a bit down this season, but he is still posting a slash line of .267/.327/.764 with five home runs and 15 RBI.
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