The rumors are swirling that the Dodgers are engaged in serious trade talks with the Cleveland Indians involving All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that this is indeed the case, at least according to a person with “direct knowledge of the talks.”
He also reported that the Indians are seeking a heavy return in the deal, with the trade package they desire including Dodgers prospects Gavin Lux and/or Dustin May.
It’s highly unlikely that the Dodgers and Andrew Friedman would in fact trade both Lux and May, given the team’s history with keeping their young talent, so let’s take a look at other possible trade packages the Dodgers could compile in exchange for Lindor.
I’m including one package with Lux and one with May, because it seems like the Indians are insistent on at least one of them, but package 1 is my ideal trade to acquire Lindor.
With Lindor still having two years of control, the Indians are in a prime position to sit back and wait for the perfect haul, and are in no rush to trade him, as has been previously reported by multiple sources. If the Dodgers truly want Lindor for 2020, it’s going to be a haul for the Indians.
No matter how you spin it, the Indians are always going to be getting more “total value” , because that is the price teams will pay for Lindor. Let’s get into some hypotheticals.
PACKAGE 1
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor
Indians receive: C Keibert Ruiz, INF Jeter Downs, RHP Mitchell White, OF Joc Pederson
This may not be enough for the Indians, but they would get their catcher of the future in Ruiz, a possible stud up the middle in Jeter Downs, an OF to replace Yasiel Puig in Joc Pederson, and a pitcher with potential in Mitchell White — not to mention many years of control with Ruiz and Downs, which is noteworthy since the Indians do not like breaking the bank.
PACKAGE 2:
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor, LHP Brad Hand
Indians receive: INF Gavin Lux, 1B Edwin Rios, OF Joc Pederson, C Connor Wong
With two years of control left on Lindor, it’s hard to see the Indians surrendering the All-Star SS without receiving Dustin May or Gavin Lux in return, so in this scenario, which still favors the Indians, at least the Dodgers get a proven left-handed reliever in return to go along with Lindor.
PACKAGE 3 (via Oskar Vargas):
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor, RHP Mike Clevinger
Indians receive: INF Jeter Downs, C Keibert Ruiz, OF Joc Pederson, SS Corey Seager, RHP Ross Stripling, RHP Mitchell White
I asked my colleague to shoot over a possible trade package and he did not disappoint. Blockbuster much? This would be the biggest trade during the Andrew Friedman regime, and there is no precedent for him ever surrendering this much talent before, but landing Lindor and Clevinger would make the Dodgers the instant favorites in the NL — but it certainly wouldn’t be cheap, as evidenced.
PACKAGE 4
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor, LHP Brad Hand
Indians receive: RHP Dustin May, INF Jeter Downs, OF Joc Pederson, RHP Mitchell White
Since the Indians reportedly want May AND/OR Lux, I had to include one with May in it, and if the Indians are insistent on getting both, the only way I could leave Lux out of this one was to include Jeter Downs. The Dodgers would get Brad Hand with Lindor to bolster their bullpen in this hypothetical.
PACKAGE 5
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor, LHP Brad Hand
Indians receive: INF Jeter Downs, RHP Josiah Gray, C Diego Cartaya, OF Joc Pederson, RHP Ross Stripling, SS Devin Mann
This is a hefty haul for the Indians, but if the Dodgers stand pat in holding onto Gavin Lux and Dustin May, it’s going to cost a lot. In this scenario, the Dodgers get Lindor and Hand, and the Indians receive their possible middle infield of the future in Jeter Downs and Devin Mann, to go along with rising prospects Josiah Gray and Diego Cartaya, plus add Pederson and Stripling so they can still compete in 2020. It’s a doozy, but getting Lindor while holding onto Seager, Lux and May is a very tall task.
PACKAGE 6:
Dodgers receive: SS Francisco Lindor
Indians receive: C Keibert Ruiz, RHP Josiah Gray, OF Joc Pederson, RHP Ross Stripling, RHP Mitchell White
Again, not including Seager, Lux, or May seems difficult to do given the Indians demands, but it would certainly cost a lot of young talent if the Dodgers are going to pull that off, and that’s what the Indians get in this hypothetical (paired with 2 pieces in Pederson and Stripling so they can compete in 2020).
————
There’s endless possibilities in this department, and these are just six hypothetical packages for a possible Lindor trade. Personally, I would not include Lux or May in a deal, and try to negotiate using the myriad of young talent the Dodgers have in the farm. A name I did not include in any of these was Enrique Hernandez, who could very well be included in a potential deal as a temporary replacement for Lindor at SS, if Lux or Seager is not included in the actual trade.
One thing is for sure, the price for Lindor is going to be extremely high no matter which way you look at it. Whether it’s including Seager, Lux, or May in the deal, or surrendering a flurry of young talent, it’s not going to be an easy deal to make.
I’d love to see your own hypothetical trade packages, so tweet me @_therealdrose.
(Photo Credit: Ken Blaze/ USA Today Sports)
–David Rosenthal is a writer and contributor for Dodgers LowDown. Follow him on twitter @_TherealDRose