Francisco Lindor trade rumors: Four teams that could trade for shortstop, three that won’t

Ask any person in baseball to assemble an inventory of the gamers they’d need to construct a franchise around, the gamers who are stars on and stale the field, and Francisco Lindor is certain to make pretty much each quick list. 

He’s a four-time All-Famous Person entering his Age 27 season. He’s helped raise his membership to the postseason in four of his five years in the majors. He’s a legitimate famous person on the field with a magnetic persona and massive smile.

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However he will be traded. probably by way of Starting Day 2025, on every occasion that arrives. That’s not breaking information; he’s getting into his final yr of arbitration and shall be a loose agent after next season. at the open marketplace, barring an damage or something unexpected, he’ll most definitely land a contract north of $300 million. Cleveland will not be the membership giving him that deal. 

Ignoring that “strapped for cash” apart — the Dolan circle of relatives, which own the Indians, are worth more than $4.6 billion — the rest is correct (smartly, rather then that he made a professional-rated part of $17.5 million in 2025). Anyway, he’s almost certain to be traded. and also you will hear many groups attached to a pursuit of Lindor. 

We’re here to split the contenders from the pretenders. 

Risk: Mets

Thoughts: The Mets’ new owner, Steve Cohen, has a net price of greater than $14 billion and he’s a lifelong Mets fan. There can be no higher means for Cohen to permit Mets fans understand that issues will be other under his watch — temporarily reminding fanatics that he’s not the Wilpons is the most productive factor he may be able to do — than to swing a trade for Lindor and then signal him to a protracted-term deal that helps to keep him in a Mets uniform for the following decade. 

And, certain, shortstop won’t be the membership’s most pressing issue; Ahmed Rosario has been the starter there for the prior three years and turns just 25 later this month. However even if he’s still growing and has a superior upside, Rosario has now not proven to be the kind of participant — he has a .302 on-base proportion and 91 OPS+ in 403 games, as an example — who must stand in the manner of acquiring a famous person similar to Lindor. 

Especially on this scenario, with a new proprietor and no big-splash unfastened agents on the marketplace. Acquiring Lindor is the very best chance for Cohen and the Mets; he’s a real face-of-the-franchise type of player. 

Not happening: Angels

Thoughts: Andrelton Simmons is a free agent, so the team has an opening at shortstop. And the Angels have at least been rumored as a potential vacation spot, partly because a team with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Francisco Lindor in the lineup might need to make the postseason, proper? Proper? Buehler? (Ferris, now not Walker, btw.)

Trading for Lindor would certainly be a big splash for the brand new GM — whomever that may be — however it appears like a longer shot, especially if it’s only for one year. And why make the transfer for 365 days, whilst contending in 2025 appears difficult, at perfect? So, could the club actually add a third $30-million-a-12 months participant lengthy-time period? Trout’s getting $34.5 million through 2030 and Rendon has an AAV of $36.6 through 2026. And that’s now not even citing the $30 million Albert Pujols is at the books for 2025. 

The Angels have such a lot of issues they must deal with ahead of they’re professional International Series contenders that are meant to almost certainly simply sit down this one out. 

Possibility: Yankees

Thoughts: This fit is somewhat more sophisticated, nevertheless it’s hard to bargain the Yankees from the rest that will help end the streak of years without a World Series look at 11. Motivation is not a problem. 

the most straightforward state of affairs for the Yankees this offseason could be to re-signal free agent D.J. LeMahieu — who was once outstanding in his two years with the membership — to play 2nd base and go away Gleyber Torres at shortstop. That’s a combination that might absolutely assist the Yankees win an international Series. But what if they traded Torres — he had his worst offensive season in 2025, but he’s below club control thru 2025 — for Lindor, a simple shortstop-for-shortstop deal (as the foremost parts, anyway)? 

And what if, for a few reason why, LeMahieu doesn’t get back? Then, the Yankees may just industry for Lindor and move Torres back to 2d base, the place he’s began 168 games for the club. they may also trade for Lindor, transfer Torres to 2d and re-sign LeMahieu, then trade third baseman Gio Urshela, who has two years final of club control and will assist carry back MLB-ready pitching lend a hand. LeMahieu started FIFTY EIGHT games at the hot corner for the Yankees. 

Now Not happening: Braves

Thoughts: The Braves were mentioned as conceivable suitors for Lindor, and they have got the young gamers and a solid farm gadget — five MLB top-ONE HUNDRED possibilities, by means of the publication’s midseason scores — to get it performed. Additionally, they would appear to have the incentive to do no matter what necessary to get over the hump and get to the world Series. 

But this doesn’t make sense, for a pair of reasons. 

Allow’s get started here: The Braves have a beautiful good shortstop in Dansby Swanson. So perhaps they transfer him to third base and put Austin Riley within the deal, even if Swanson’s never performed even a unmarried sport at third in his pro profession? Doesn’t appear most probably. Can’t transfer him to second base because Ozzie Albies is locked in there. And Cleveland, a crew losing payroll like Joba swatted the midges, received’t need Swanson as part of the business because he’s years from free agency himself, expected to make around $7 million in his second year of arbitration in 2025. 

after which there’s this: Sure, the Braves have had a ton of luck with one-year FA deals (Josh Donaldson in 2025 and Marcel Ozuna in 2025), but buying and selling for Lindor best to permit him walk as a free agent after 2025 is a completely other state of affairs. The Braves have been as reluctant as any workforce to trade away young skill that’s controllable lengthy-term. 

So, this will handiest make experience if the Braves signal Lindor to a long-term deal, the way the Dodgers did with Betts, right? That seems highly unlikely, too, considering franchise icon Freddie Freeman may be a loose agent after 2025. He’ll be heading into his Age 32 season, and it will take at least five years with a high AAV to keep him. The Braves aren’t going to offer Freeman five years with a high AAV and Lindor 10 years at a high AAV, other people. That simply ain’t going down. 

Chance: Blue Jays

Thoughts: That Is a franchise heading within the proper path, with a solid middle of younger emerging stars who are value-managed for a few years. Including a respected, youthful veteran superstar like Lindor — and signing him long-time period — looks like an ideal subsequent step within the evolution of the Jays into perennial contenders. Imagine an infield with Lindor at shortstop, Bo Bichette at 3rd base — he could slide over to make way for Lindor at shortstop — Vlad Guerrero Jr., to start with base — he remains there in place of moving again to 3rd next year — and Cavan Biggio at second base for the next five years. Few teams in baseball could be capable of match that blend. 

And, honestly, even in the event that they don’t signal Lindor lengthy-term, this move makes as much experience as a one-12 months choice for the Blue Jays because it does for any crew. they have got a strong farm device — ranked No. 7 through MLB — that would easily provide the items necessary to land Lindor with out decimating the organizational ability level. And Lindor is the type of player who might, even in a brief stay, lend a hand lift the level of those around him. 

No Longer going down: Cardinals

Thoughts: like the Braves and Angels, the Cardinals have been mentioned as a potential destination. And, positionally, it might happen. With 2nd baseman Kolten Wong loose to depart as a unfastened agent, the Cardinals may just slide shortstop Paul DeJong to 2d base and depart Tommy Edman at 3rd, or move Edman to second and DeJong to 3rd. That’s easy sufficient. And they have got the required young pieces needed to make a trade occur. 

However then, there’s this: John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations, didn’t exactly make it sound just like the Cardinals had been going to be large gamers this offseason. “As we manner this offseason,” he said, “it’s no doubt going to require some creativity, some patience and just right timing.”

Instead, they looked like a club looking to lower bills as a result of lost sales. That’s why Wong, now a again-to-back Gold Glove winner who will get on base at a healthy clip, used to be allowed to walk once they declined his very reasonable $12.5 million possibility. So it doesn’t explanation why that they’d trade for Lindor, even for a 12 months, while he’s slated to make round $20 million in 2025, his final yr of arbitration. And an extended-term deal would seem even much less most probably, except Mozeliak used to be just throwing other people off the scent and the Cardinals truly are planning a blockbuster move (spoiler: that’s not what he was once doing). 

Risk: Phillies

Thoughts: DiDi Gregorius was once improbable for the Phillies in 2025, but he was once there on a one-year deal and definitely shall be searching a multiyear settlement this offseason (he’s earned it). He may get back to Philadelphia, however on the moment the club has a gap at shortstop. And there’s surely a way of desperation to come back to the postseason, after consecutive years of headline-grabbing offseasons resulting in lofty expectations but middling effects. 

And, really, that experience of urgency is why they’re on the “possibility” checklist and never the “now not going down” list. Motivation is a formidable issue, and in this case counteracts the truth that the Phillies don’t have a ton within the manner of young upside ability they might move — a few, but no longer a ton — and the fact that Lindor, for as nice as he is on the diamond, is not a shut-down aid pitcher. And the club needs a few of these. Also, if the club goes to dedicate the kinds of dollars it would wish to spend to maintain Lindor lengthy term, why no longer supply some of that money to J.T. Realmuto, the fan-favourite catcher who may just depart as a unfastened agent this wintry weather?

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