Cleveland Indians: Francisco Lindor trade packages for the AL West

Concluding our trip around the divisions of Major League Baseball we come to the AL West for Francisco Lindor trade packages for the Cleveland Indians.

When looking across baseball for teams to become trade partners for the Cleveland Indians and a deal for Francisco Lindor, the American League West is perhaps the most intriguing division. While some make much more sense than others, each team could make a case for why a deal for Lindor is needed.

Moving across the other divisions in baseball, each division had at least one team that just didn’t make sense or was a poor trade partner. The AL East had the Rays and Orioles who are just as strapped for cash as the Indians and there’s little reason for Cleveland to deal Lindor within the AL Central.

As for the National League, the East was perhaps the most intriguing with some of the top contenders for Lindor there, but it’s hard to make a case for every team in that division. The same can be said for the NL Central with teams like the Pirates who are in a complete rebuild. Meanwhile, the NL West seems depleted of most of their prospects across the board.

That brings us to the AL West. The Los Angeles Angels already have a star in Mike Trout, but could see money free up soon from Albert Pujols’ contract. The Houston Astros always seem to be interested in adding fire power and adding Lindor would do just that. The Oakland A’s could be looking for a one-year run. The Seattle Mariners could view Lindor as their missing link, the way they did Robinson Cano when they paid him. As for the Texas Rangers, they always seem to be interested in trades with the Cleveland Indians.

So while all these teams have a reason to trade for Francisco Lindor, do they have the means? Here’s what a trade could look like for each of the teams in the AL West.

Astros add Lindor

The odds of this deal happening are slim to none, but if a third team could get involved the odds go up a bit. The Houston Astros already have Carlos Correa entrenched at shortstop, but his contract is in a near identical situation to Francisco Lindor’s. If they view Lindor as an upgrade, then perhaps they would consider a move like this.

Also going against the deal is the fact that Alex Bregman’s contract is going to increase by a hefty margin in the coming seasons, so that’s even more money against the team’s books. For the fun of it, though, what if the Cleveland Indians could finagle a deal with Houston?

Well, there isn’t much for the Astros to offer the Indians. They don’t have a top prospect in the outfield that will be MLB-ready in the next few years. The closest they come is Chas McCormick who is currently listed as the team’s No. 21 prospect. Unless the Indians want to wait for a while for the outfielder in the deal to debut, McCormick is their best bet. Luckily, he isn’t the core of the deal.

The main return for the Indians here is Jeremy Pena, the No. 4 prospect in Houston. A middle infield prospect that should be ready in 2021, Pena could play either short or second for the Tribe. His minor league numbers are on the impressive side as well, slashing .290/.374/.407. He’s only played as high as High-A, but having collegiate experience could shorten his learning curve to the majors.

Angels make splash for Lindor

Albert Pujols has just one year left on his contract with the Los Angeles Angels, which would free up $30 million for the team to use. The best place to put that money might be in a long-term deal with Francisco Lindor.

After watching the Los Angeles Dodgers trade for and sign Mookie Betts, the Angels might be more inclined to make a LA-sized splash of their own. What better way to do it than landing the Betts of this offseason.

Pairing Lindor with Trout would give the Angels two of the best players in the game with both still a few years away from their primes. However, knowing those plans the Cleveland Indians could look to cash in on the deal as well.

Adding Bradley Zimmer to the deal to ease the loss for Los Angeles, the Indians look to gain the Angels’ No. 1 prospect in Brandon Marsh. The No. 73 prospect in all of baseball, Marsh is regarded as a five-tool player with power being the one that lacks the most. He’s strong and athletic in the field, puts up solid numbers at the plate in terms of average and is a threat on the bases.

The second player coming to Cleveland is Jahmai Jones. A second basemen with the potential to play in the outfield, Jones debuted for the Angels this past season playing in three games. He would be able to fill in at second this season for the Indians and moving forward.

A’s go all in for 2021

If the Oakland A’s made a move for Francisco Lindor it would be a one-year rental with the hopes of finally capturing a World Series. Oakland doesn’t have the money to pay Lindor long-term, but given the layout of their roster, this year might be the sweet spot to try for something special.

Matt Olson and Matt Chapman are both entering their first years of arbitration, which are normally the cheapest, meaning that it will only be a matter of time before the A’s have to make a decision with those players. Meanwhile, they have young pitching in A.J. Puk, Jesus Luzardo and others who will be ready to provide them with a strong rotation.

The missing piece for Oakland could be a playmaker like Lindor. If the A’s decide to go all in before they have to pay up, this would be the year to do it. However, a trade with the Cleveland Indians could send away some of their future pieces, but not many.

Sheldon Neuse would be the main return for Cleveland here, who would receive less given the one-year rental part. Debuting in 2019, Neuse played in 61 games for Oakland and slashed .250/.295/.304 with three doubles and seven RBI. Playing the left side of the infield, Neuse could become the Indians’ shortstop.

The second player in the deal could be any of the A’s seemingly countless outfielders on their Top 30 prospect list. In this case, the Indians receive Buddy Reed.

Texas takes on Lindor

The Rangers still have Elvis Andrus under contract for a few more seasons, so adding Francisco Lindor could hinge on moving Andrus as well. On top of that, Texas is in a bit of a rebuilding phase themselves after a down 2020 season, so a long-term deal might not be their top priority.

Even so, the thought of pairing Lindor with Joey Gallo could be intriguing. The two would compliment each other well in the lineup and could play together for many years to come.

For the Indians, they would look to add the Rangers’ No. 3 prospect Leody Taveras. Playing 33 games for Texas this season, Taveras showed flashes of his potential with four home runs and eight stolen bases. However, his average was a bit lower than what you want to see, coming in at .227.

To give the deal more appeal if a long-term deal is out the window for Lindor, the Indians add Bradley Zimmer and get back infielder Jonathan Ornelas. Zimmer would help fill the void left behind by Taveras while Ornelas is a versatile player with potential that the Cleveland Indians can try and harness, much like they did with Jose Ramirez when he was coming up through the minors.