It appears the Cleveland Indians might not be done wheeling and dealing.
The Indians earlier this week carried out what’s already been an active Major League Baseball offseason by trading two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers. Now, Cleveland reportedly is at least entertaining the idea of shipping away another one of its top players.
The Tribe reportedly has discussed a possible Francisco Lindor trade with the in-state rival Cincinnati Reds, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Feinsand on Thursday suggested who the Indians might pursue in a potential blockbuster and explained why the Reds would make sense as a trading partner.
The Reds are the latest team to engage with the Indians about a potential Francisco Lindor trade, per source. It’s unclear if there’s any traction, but Reds have been aggressive on trade market before (Bauer, Puig) and have attractive trade chips (Senzel, India among them).
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 19, 2019
Regarding a potential Reds/Indians Lindor deal, don't forget they were involved in a three-team deal that landed Trevor Bauer in Cincy. Indians aren't afraid to move a player in-state and Reds aren't afraid to deal top prospects. Who knows if it will happen, but it's interesting.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 19, 2019
Cincinnati suddenly is a team to keep an eye on as the 2020 season approaches. The club boasts a strong starting pitching rotation with Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer and recently acquired Wade Miley, and it might just be an impact bat away from becoming a legitimate contender in the National League. Lindor would fill that void in spades, and he still has one year of arbitration left before being eligible to hit unrestricted free agency in 2022.
Given how things are shaking out, the NL Central might be the most exciting division race to watch in the upcoming campaign.
