The Indians were unable to agree on a contract extension with Francisco Lindor this past spring, casting further doubt on the shortstop's long-term future in Cleveland.
Lindor will be a highly paid arbitration player in 2021 before hitting free agency after next season. He could be gone before then, though, as his team is reportedly open to trading him before the Aug. 31 deadline.
Should Lindor leave by the end of the month, he would be the rare player on a Hall of Fame path to get dealt while entering his prime. At 26, he already has the resume some solid MLB players fail to match over their entire careers.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Sunday that Lindor's name "has been mentioned in some preliminary trade talks." That's far from confirmation that he'll be shipped elsewhere, but it does mean rival clubs sense a willingness from Cleveland to at least engage in blockbuster trade conversations.
Lindor has been a rumored trade candidate before, and he's seen talented teammates Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber be traded in the past year. In recent years, the Indians have developed a reputation of casting off their best players as they enter their late-20s.
Francisco Lindor's name has been mentioned in some preliminary trade talks, per source. There's no indication the Indians are planning to move him, but the possibility exists. Lindor has one more year of control before hitting free agency.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 30, 2020
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Lindor has a career slash line of .287/.346/.437 and is approaching 100 stolen bases in his sixth MLB season. His greatest strength, though, is his fielding at shortstop, where he's won a pair of Gold Glove awards.
He has more wins above replacement through his first five seasons than Barry Larkin, Ernie Banks, Ozzie Smith, Robin Yount and Alan Trammell. Those are all Hall of Fame names.
Because of his production, play at a premium position and team control in 2021, trading for Lindor would require a club to give up a huge prospect haul in return. What would be a monumental loss for Cleveland would be a potentially franchise-altering move for someone else. Players of his caliber and age are not usually on the block at this point in a campaign.