Indians: What to do with Francisco Lindor if he turns down an extension

The Cleveland Indians will likely offer Francisco Lindor some sort of extension. If he turns down the team’s best offer, it becomes decision time.

The Cleveland Indians reportedly offered Francisco Lindor a contract extension back before the 2017 season. While some rumors said it was around $100 million, Lindor had no interest in signing the deal.

That is interesting because it would have covered his arbitration years and potentially paid him more than what he will earn this year and in 2021. But Lindor knows what is right around the corner. He is set to earn a huge payday starting in 2022 that could be up in the $300 million range.

Right now I see no way the Indians offer him such a deal. The team just doesn’t operate that way and the only way a mega-deal happens is if it is for around four or five years with options included. And if he signed the deal and the Indians won a World Series, the team may look to move that money after achieving the ultimate goal.

Re-signing Lindor is the obvious elephant in the organization for the Indians this offseason. But if he refuses the team’s best offer it is time for the front office to consider a possible trade.

To be clear, I am not rooting for Lindor to be traded. I have just seen this team operate for long enough to expect a trade at this point.

Here are some options for what the team can do in 2020 if Lindor refuses anything other than a record extension.

Make a trade now

The winter would take a dark turn if the Indians traded Lindor. But right now it is logically the team’s best option if he won’t return beyond 2021.

Lindor’s value is sky-high right now and any team acquiring him would at least have him for two seasons. A team like the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have already been in some Lindor rumors, is desperate for a World Series title. A team in a market that size also has the funds to extend Lindor on a monster deal.

While the New York Yankees could easily pay Lindor, I’d be surprised if the Indians traded him within the American League. Though, the trade would depend on the return. If the Yankees had an offer that was too good to pass up then he would be in pinstripes.

This is the weird intersection between being a baseball fan and understanding the business of it all. Frankly, it stinks. The front office should have a great read on whether or not Lindor will accept the team’s top offer. That offer likely won’t change between now and the 2021 offseason.

If the value is there and he is already halfway out the door, trading him in the next few months could stock the talent pool in Cleveland with top prospects and guys ready right now. The only problem is the possibility of a fan revolt.

Wait until July

The Indians are still trying to win a World Series for the first time since 1948. Lindor is obviously a top player for the Indians in any title chase.

His value won’t be as high as it is now if he starts the season with the Indians, but it does allow the Indians to maintain the title chase in 2020.

This option keeps Lindor on the Indians in his second-to-last year of team control. The team begins the season with the best possible club, or so I hope, with the goal of winning a World Series.

But let’s say July rolls around and the team is scuffling. Or better yet, teams are offering the Indians insane offers to acquire Lindor and make a title run of their own. That is where the conundrum comes in.

Do the Indians help another team with the same goal of winning a World Series? I think that all depends on the outlook for the Indians’ chances once the trade deadline nears.

The front office won’t admit it but I think it is safe to say they did not think the Indians could take down the Houston Astros or New York Yankees in the postseason this year. If the team was only one player away and truly going for it, there was plenty of time and need to make an upgrade. Alas, they hang their hats on the 93 wins.

Trading Lindor at the deadline would fit the history of this team. Think back to the Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia, and Cliff Lee deals. The team was in a different situation then but all those trades saw stars sent away for several players in return.

The story was the same each time. The Indians weren’t going to offer any of those players a major contract and ended up sending all three to contenders. Though let me point out I am still salty about the Martinez trade.

The Indians should still be contenders in July of next season. Trading Lindor then could do more damage to the team than trading him in the offseason. That is something for the organization to keep in mind.