Cleveland Indians: Four blockbuster trades for Francisco Lindor

The Cleveland Indians are expected to move on from Francisco Lindor in the near future. Here are four massive deals that could become reality.

Time is ticking for the Cleveland Indians to make a decision on Francisco Lindor. It seems inevitable that the Indians and Lindor will part ways because of the massive contract Lindor will land, but what can the Indians get in return if they trade Lindor?

Lindor still has one more year of arbitration left on his deal, but after this season he can leave in free agency, leading many to believe that the Indians will trade him at some point in the next 10 months or so. His value will decrease as time goes on, so trading him before the season starts will return the most value.

We saw the Boston Red Sox deal Mookie Betts before the 2020 season to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a similar situation, receiving a rather massive haul for the former MVP. While Lindor has yet to capture an MVP, the Indians are expected to draw a package somewhat similar to what the Red Sox received.

Odds are, there will be many teams interested in Lindor who is regarded as one of the best shortstops in the league as well as a great player in the clubhouse. This could create a bidding war that could result in a massive return for the Cleveland Indians, that could actually help them more in the long run than signing Lindor long-term.

While the price tag on a trade for Lindor will be high, the Indians also know that a year from now he could leave without anything in return should they hold on to him. It’s a tough decision to make, but moving on from Lindor is the logical decision for a team that builds through the minor leagues and won’t be able to retain Lindor beyond this season. So, without further delay, here are four blockbuster deals that the Indians could strike for Lindor.

Indians deal Lindor to Miami for three top prospects

The Indians are going to be looking to get multiple high end prospects and the Miami Marlins are one of the few teams that can offer that while also having room for Francisco Lindor’s upcoming contract.

We’ll begin with the Marlins who miraculously made the playoffs in 2020. Miguel Rojas was the main shortstop for the team, but at 31-years old he isn’t the long-term answer at the position. Rojas is on a rather expensive deal for his play, but a club option in 2022 would allow the Marlins to opt out right when Lindor’s price tag jumps.

As for the return to Cleveland, they land three of the Marlins top eight prospects, while all three also saw experience in the majors during the 2020 season.

The main player in return would be Jazz Chisholm, a 22-year old shortstop with 21 games of major league experience. Currently the No. 4 prospect in the Miami system, Chisholm has been highly regarded through the minors. He doesn’t jump off the stat sheet in any one category, but is rather average in most of them. During his small sample size in 2020, he slashed .161/.242/.321 with two home runs, two stolen bases, a double and a triple.

The second player coming over would be No. 5 prospect, outfielder Jesus Sanchez. The Indians are in need of outfield help for the future and the Marlins have a plethora of prospects at the position. Sanchez appeared in just 10 games during 2020 and didn’t see much success, but his minor league stats show his potential. In the minors, he posted a career slash line of .296/.342/.459 with 50 home runs and 304 RBI over 464 career games.

The final prospect in the deal is No. 8 prospect Lewin Diaz, who could be the first contributor for the Indians. Should the Indians decline Carlos Santana‘s option and he leave in free agency, Diaz could provide his replacement. Like Chisholm and Sanchez, Diaz doesn’t have much of an MLB sample size, but his minor league resume is impressive with 63 home runs, 123 walks and 263 RBI over 458 minor league games.

Tribe lands Angels’ top prospect

The Indians should try to avoid moving Lindor within the American League, but if a team can offer a package that includes their top prospect, as well as three of their top eight, it will be hard to ignore.

The 2021 season will finally be the last on the enormous Albert Pujols deal, so that will clear up plenty of money for Los Angeles to shift over to Francisco Lindor beginning in 2022, pairing two of the game’s best players together in Lindor and Mike Trout.

As for the Indians, they land the Angels’ top prospect in Brandon Marsh, who should be MLB-ready in 2021. The Angels of plenty of outfielders, so moving Marsh is a possibility. At 22-years old, the 2016 second round pick could be an immediate producer for an Indians outfield that is starving for sustained production. Playing 96 games at the Double-A level in 2019, Marsh slashed a solid .300/.383/.428 with 21 doubles, 18 stolen bases and seven home runs.

The second part of the trade is an 18-year old shortstop in Kyren Paris. Currently the No. 5 prospect for Los Angeles, Paris was the Angels’ second round pick in 2019. He doesn’t have statistics to look at, but his potential is high.

The final piece is second baseman Jahmai Jones who would be the only one in this deal with MLB experience. Jones could slide into the vacancy left behind by Cesar Hernandez while allowing the Cleveland Indians to focus their minor league middle infielders on filling the shortstop void. In his brief MLB appearance, Jones had good fortune, going 3-for-7 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Phillies send Cleveland No. 2 prospect

The Phillies don’t have much left in their minor league system, which is why they add a fourth player opposed to the three in the first two deals. Philadelphia tried Didi Gregorious on a one-year deal, but with him out of the picture in 2021, bringing in Lindor to pair with Bryce Harper could be the ideal move.

In order for Philadelphia to land Lindor, they will have to part ways with No. 2 prospect, Bryson Scott. The team’s first round pick in the 2019 draft, Scott is highly regarded across the league, but might take a year or two before being MLB-ready.

The second player is the Phillies’ No. 7 prospect, Rafael Marchan who is a 21-year old switch-hitting catcher. The Indians aren’t in dire need of a catcher at the moment, but adding another catching prospect is always a plus. Marchan saw a bit of time in the majors this season, batting .500 over eight at-bats. With Roberto Perez having two years of options left and Austin Hedges two years of arbitration, this gives the Indians a bit of leverage.

Of the players coming to Cleveland, Mickey Moniak is probably the one that would contribute first. Over 18 games with the Phillies, Moniak slashed .214/.389/.214 with four walks. The stat line isn’t incredible, but he is the team’s No. 12 prospect and provides another outfield option.

The final player is Daniel Brito, the No. 29 prospect, but one that will be MLB-ready very soon. The Indians have a lot of middle infield talent in the minors and Brito would add to that. He would be the first called up to audition for the openings.