Ever since the start of last season, Francisco Lindor’s name has been tied to pretty much every single organization inMajor League Baseball, as he’s one of the prime trade candidates in the league right now.
The Cleveland Indians decided to keep the talented shortstop during the shortened season in hopes of making a deep postseason run, but now that we’re ‘back to normal’ (as if), the time to trade him has finally come.
The New York Yankees were reportedly interested in acquiring Lindor’s services last year but that interest has now cooled off. However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and a report by Yahoo! Sports, two Eastern Conference teams are ready to make a run at him.
Toronto Blue Jays And New York Mets Leading The Race For Francisco Lindor
“Per Rosenthal, the Indians could have difficulty securing a package equal to the one the Dodgers received last offseason for Mookie Betts, due in part to the potentially small amount of suitors and financial climate. Rosenthal adds thatthe Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are more focused on free agents or filling other positions, and that teams like the San Francisco Giants and Minnesota Twins might not be fits,” read the report.
The New York Mets have been tied to Lindor for quite some time now. New owner Steve Cohen wants to make a statement and bring nothing but top-tier talents to Queens, and that would certainly be a step in the right direction.
As for the Toronto Blue Jays, the team is filled with young and promising players and want to add a couple of proven veterans and bonafide stars to make a run at the postseason this year, and Lindor clearly fits their timeline.
It’s also worth noting that any team that lands the talented Puerto Rican is going to absorb the $19 million he has left on his contract, as well as trying to convince him of signing a long-term extension before he hits free agency, which is always a risk.