Cleveland Indians: A five point offseason checklist for the Tribe

Step #2: Francisco Lindor

While making a decision on Francisco Lindor will be the most important part of the Indians offseason, it shouldn’t be the first thing they do. While very slim, there is a chance that the owners could decide to give Lindor his money once seeing how much they will be saving by declining the options for both Santana and Hand, which would technically open up $27.5 million.

Lindor has one year of arbitration left, but after that his price tag is going to skyrocket. Regarded as one of the best young players in the game, the Indians should be able to receive quite the package for the 26, almost 27-year old star.

If you’re interested in what deals could be made for Lindor, we’ve wrote that story. Maybe you are you more concerned about where he lands, that’s covered too. However, the reality is that it’s all just talk until something actually starts to happen. That could be very soon.

With Mookie Betts playing a big role in the World Series after the Dodgers made a similar move to acquire him last offseason and sign him long-term, many teams will be hoping to capture that same lightning in a bottle. If there are multiple teams that see Lindor as their difference between a World Series or not, the Cleveland Indians could quickly see a bidding war form, netting what could be a trade for the baseball historians to write about down the road.