Digging Deeper into the Lindor Deal
Cleveland and the New York Mets agreed to a blockbuster deal last week sending four-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the Mets. In exchange, Cleveland acquired younger (cheaper) baseball players in infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, right-hander Josh Wolf, and 2020 second round outfielder Isaiah Greene. The news of this deal shocked the entire MLB community and changed the outlook of multiple divisions. The Lindor deal immediately shifted the Mets from a fringe playoff team to a legit contender in the NL, while Cleveland seems to be jumpstarting a potential rebuild by trading Lindor before their superstar hit free agency. Today, we will be evaluating the players included in the deal, and take a look into what the future looks like for both of these franchises.
What Cleveland Was Thinking
There are a lot of unknowns for Cleveland in 2021, including an announcement on their new team name. With Lindor and Carrasco gone, more “rebuild” moves may be imminent. There is still a ton of talent on this team, including switch hitting star Jose Ramirez, 2020 AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, young starters Zach Plesac and Triston McKenzie, and a solid bullpen headlined by James Karinchak. So, Cleveland will need to figure out if they either want to get younger and trade away some of these bigger name players, stick with what they have, or stay somewhere in-between.
Examining the return for Lindor and Carrasco, we get insight into the front office’s thought processes. Infield utility man Andres Gimenez and shortstop/former top prospect Amed Rosario will look to fill the shoes that Lindor has left behind. Gimenez just completed his rookie season in 2020 and through 102 OPS+ as a 21 year old, capable of playing shortstop. He added 8 stolen bases in 9 attempts and graded well at each infield spot, which all adds up to an interesting, if not spectacular, player to watch as the 2021 season unfolds.
Rosario, on the other hand, has had 4 seasons in the Majors and is just reaching his prime. His career .268 average in 1,478 at-bats, with 63 doubles, 20 triples, 32 homeruns, 148 RBI’s, and 50 steals in 75 attempts sounds an awful lot like a player above replacement level, but below Major League average. Indeed, Rosario has 2.3 career WAR, and -2.8 Wins Above Average. He hasn’t lived up to his prospect pedigree, but he is just entering his age 25 season and will look to turn a corner.
Two two prospects headed back to Cleveland – RHP Josh Wolf and OF Isaiah Greene – were picked in the second round of the last two drafts and will also be interesting players to watch for in the future in Cleveland.
New York Wins the Lindor deal
The team who gets the superstar player almost always comes out on top. That’s the case here. The Mets are adding Francisco Lindor (career 28.7 WAR, .285 BA, 896 Hits, 191 2B, 15 3B, 138 HR, and .883 OPS) and Carlos Carrasco (career 88-73 record, 3.77 ERA, 21.4 WAR) to a roster already chalk full of talent, including: 2019 ROTY and Homerun Derby winner Pete Alonso, the best pitcher in baseball- Jacob DeGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Seth Lugo, Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil, and Michael Conforto.
Francisco Lindor will bring his dynamic and game-changing switch hitting bat into the fold, alongside his platinum glove defense, his charisma, and smile to the Big Apple. I can already envision the billboards and other marketing ploys the Mets will be able to use centered around Lindor. However, it is imperative that the Mets re-sign Lindor after giving up so much for him, and, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Lindor has given the Mets a deadline to work out his extension. On Monday, during an introductory Zoom press conference, Lindor said that he doesn’t negotiate contracts during the season and that “once it gets to a point in spring training, it’s time to enjoy the ride and focus on winning.” Looking ahead to 2020, Lindor should bring a new level of excitement to this team, and will push the Mets to meet expectations.
This team will be a force in the NL for years to come. As for this coming season, the Mets should win the ultra-competitive NL East, will become the best and most exciting team in New York, and will be a top three team in the Majors.
-Alex Wolfe
