Cleveland Indians: Francisco Lindor trade packages from the NL East

Lindor lands in Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves aren’t in dire need of Francisco Lindor with Dansby Swanson currently at short. However, they are going to have to pay one of them soon, so why not make a run for Lindor? For a young team like the Braves, Lindor might be the missing piece in making them a dynasty in the National League.

With Lindor coming in, the Braves wouldn’t need Swanson, who was a Gold Glove finalist, and could send him to Cleveland. In this case, the Cleveland Indians would keep a young, but seasoned, shortstop on the field at a much lower price. Swanson still has arbitration left in 2021 and 2022 and could save in the realm of $14 million for the Indians in comparison to Lindor. While he isn’t Lindor, Swanson’s average and home run total have both increased each season since 2017.

The second player in the deal is the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves’ system, outfielder Drew Waters. Waters’ time in the field has been rather evenly sprayed amongst the outfield positions, so he could fill in where needed. He lit up Double-A in 2019 before moving up to Triple-A for 26 games. In those 26 games he slashed .271/.336/.374 with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. He would very easily start on Opening Day for the Indians should this trade happen.

The final piece is the No. 19 prospect in Atlanta, first basemen Bryce Ball. A 24th round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, Ball quickly showed promise in 41 games of rookie ball. He was able to slash .324/.410/.676 with 12 doubles and 13 home runs. Just 22, Ball has a lot of potential and could blossom into a solid starter down the road.