Cleveland Indians: Francisco Lindor trade packages from the NL East

The Cleveland Indians have made it clear that they intend to trade Francisco Lindor before Opening Day 2021, so what could an NL East trade look like?

While some were still holding out hope that the Cleveland Indians and Francisco Lindor could meet a long-term agreement, those were put to rest in just the last couple weeks. The Indians’ front office has committed to moving Lindor before Opening Day 2021, so what are some deals that the Indians could land?

There will be teams that are clear front runners for Lindor, but with a player of his caliber you could make the argument that every team is a potential trade partner, and that’s exactly what we plan to do. Beginning with the NL East, we’ll walk through all 29 teams in Major League Baseball that all serve as potential landing spots for the young shortstop.

In our last round of possible Lindor trades, three of the four teams that Lindor was packaged to were in the NL East. To keep things fresh, we won’t replicate those deals and will attempt to not even use the same players to create completely new deals for Lindor.

The key for any team attempting to land Lindor will have two parts. The first is that they have to have a strong enough farm system to interest the Indians will multiple prospects. The second is that the team will need to have enough money to sign Lindor long-term to make the trade worth it.

Being one of the best young players in the game, Lindor will be a hot commodity around the league. The Cleveland Indians might have hurt themselves by announcing their plans to trade him. Doing so lowers the value of any player because teams won’t offer as much knowing that the team is trying to dump him before the season. The sense of urgency is now on the Indians, not the other way around. Regardless he should bring a haul to Cleveland.

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.

Lindor takes his talents to South Beach

The Miami Marlins were one of the great surprises of the 2020 baseball season and they could be looking to upgrade their shortstop. Miguel Rojas was solid, being named a Gold Glove finalist, but at 32-years old when the 2021 season begins, he could be moved. That’s where Lindor comes in. The Marlins wouldn’t miss a beat defensively, improve offensively and Lindor is much younger.

Rojas’ is due $5 million in 2021 and has a club option for 2022 set at $5.5 million, which would both save Cleveland money. While he might be a bit older for the team’s future plans, he could provide the perfect bridge to the next star. He’s strong defensively and has proven that he can contribute on a regular basis.

Next in the deal is No. 2 prospect and outfielder J.J. Bleday. At just 23-years old when the season begins, Bleday is one of the most highly touted prospects in the Marlins’ organization. He’s only played 38 games in the minors, coming at High-A, but his time in college at Vanderbilt was impressive, slashing .326/.449/.553 over 161 games.

The final aspect of the trade is the Marlins’ No. 10 prospect and another outfielder, Monte Harrison. Playing in 32 games for the Marlins during the 2020 season, Harrison struggled to find consistency. However, he’s young enough to take a chance on to see if he can improve.

Lindor heads to the Big Apple

The New York Mets are under new ownership and could make a big splash by landing Francisco Lindor in a trade with the Cleveland Indians. The only problem is that the Mets don’t have many prospects who are ready to make the jump to the majors or will be in the next couple years. It would take quite the package for the Mets to pull it off, but here’s one.

Brandon Nimmo has just two years of arbitration left, but is projecting to be much cheaper than if they paid Lindor. In some ways, the contract could resemble what the Indians are paying Jose Ramirez. While Nimmo has been a bit underwhelming in New York, there was potential there and the Indians are in need of outfield production. It’s a roll of the dice, but the Mets are a bit scarce for talent to offer.

The second player in the deal is Ronny Mauricio, the No. 1 prospect in the Mets’ organization. He’s still a year or two away from the majors. At just 19, Mauricio produced a very balanced stat line while playing Class-A ball for the Mets. If either he or Tyler Freeman can move over the second, they could produce one of the strongest double play duos in baseball in just a few years.

The third piece of the deal is Isaiah Greene, another 19-year old and the Mets’ second round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. Coming out of high school this past summer, Greene is already the No. 10 prospect in the organization, which is more than intriguing for the Cleveland Indians who direly need outfield help.

Lindor brings in six player package

If the Mets don’t have much in their farm system, I’m not quite sure where to classify the Phillies. While the team is currently without a shortstop on the roster making Lindor make sense for them as a target, however, it would take more players than anyone else so far to come up with a package that might rival top prospects.

The top ranked prospect of the deal is Rafael Marchan who is just the No. 7 prospect for Philadelphia, but being a catcher he could look to contribute soon in Cleveland. Marchan made a brief appearance in the majors in 2020, playing in three games, and was good enough to draw attention from around the league.

Next up is the No. 8 prospect Casey Martin who is just 21-years old and won’t be ready for a few years. That’s the case for fellow 21-year old Simon Muzziotti, the No. 11 prospect, and No. 24 prospect Kendall Simmons as well who is just 20-years old.

Both Mickey Moniak and Cristopher Sanchez could both play at the major league level in 2021 for the Cleveland Indians. Moniak was the first pick of the 2016 MLB Draft and is the No. 12 prospect in Philly, but hasn’t lived up to expectations yet. As for Sanchez, he’s a left-handed arm that the Indians could use as a long reliever with the potential to start if needed.