Cleveland Indians: Why every team is trying to trade for Francisco Lindor

While the Cleveland Indians are the ones trying to trade Francisco Lindor, each of the other 29 teams are trying to acquire the young star. Here’s why.

With Francisco Lindor on the trade market, the Cleveland Indians should receive a phone call from every team in baseball. It’s not every year that one of the game’s young stars is available to trade for, but it seems to be becoming more normal after Mookie Betts was dealt last year. But, why should every team want to give away so much for one year of a player?

Well, while that question is technically true, wherever Lindor ends up is almost certainly not going to be for just one year. Some argue against potential trade packages for Lindor, saying it’s too much for a one-year rental essentially, but Lindor would be expected to sign long-term wherever the Indians trade him.

We’ve already hypothesized a few massive trades, most recently diving into the NL East, and each one includes MLB-ready players and top prospects. To get Francisco Lindor, that is the high price that teams will have to pay. The Cleveland Indians are going to be looking for the best deal, and that’s going to come from a team that knows they will be able to sign him long-term and get a return on their investment.

The same story unfolded last year with Betts. People couldn’t believe the absurdly high price that the Los Angeles Dodgers paid for just one year of Betts. But before the season even started, the two sides struck a long-term deal that will keep Betts in LA for years to come. Not to mention that in his one year, had it been his only, he accomplished what he was brought there to do, win a World Series.

Whoever pulls the trigger with the Cleveland Indians on a Francisco Lindor trade will do so with the Betts deals in mind. The plan will already be laid for the team to sign him to a long extension and keep him with their club, and the Indians know this. The Tribe know that they can hold out for the top deal that includes the MLB-ready players and top prospects because someone will be willing to pay that price. After seeing the difference that Betts made for the Dodgers, Lindor’s price had never been higher.

That is until the Tribe announced that they plan on moving Lindor before Opening Day, which decreases his value and makes the Indians the side of the deal with the ticking clock. Knowing that the Cleveland Indians will be doing everything they can to move Lindor before they have to pay him should also cause every team to call up the Tribe for a trade.

The team now seems desperate to make a deal happen over the next few months, so if the Dodger-like deal doesn’t come across, then it becomes anyone’s game to land Lindor. The price will continue to lower and someone can swoop in and practically steal the young star if the clock ticks long enough.

When one of the hottest names in baseball is available, you make the call. It’s really that simple. Sure, Lindor is currently on a one-year deal, but every General Manager in baseball needs to call the Indians and at least make an offer. Then, if your deal is the one that gets accepted in the end, you cross the bridge of the contract. Odds are, the team that pays the most in the trade will have plenty of money to pay Lindor with afterwards.

A trade for Lindor will not be a one-year rental. It will be a cheap year rental before his big contract extension kicks in. Thanks to arbitration, Lindor will still be undervalued during the 2021 season on his pay stub compared to what he will bring in during the 2022 season and beyond.

Like I’ve said, it’s not often that one of the best players in baseball is available by trade, unless it’s 2019 with Mookie Betts or 2020 with Francisco Lindor. Betts went from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed a long-term deal and led the team to the World Series in just his first of what could be up to 13 years in LA. So, where will the Cleveland Indians send Lindor to do the same this offseason?