2:31pm: While the likelihood of an arrangement isn’t known, the Dodgers are engaged in “serious” and ongoing talks with the Indians regarding star shortstop Francisco Lindor, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). The report suggests that the Cleveland organization wants a prospect package that includes top talents Gavin Lux and Dustin May, each of whom reached the majors late last year. Whether the demand is for both to be included isn’t entirely clear.
2:00pm: The Dodgers are increasingly “pessimistic” as to their chances of striking a deal with top remaining free agent Anthony Rendon, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). The L.A. org just missed out on Gerrit Cole and could now see its other major target slip away.
What’s the mean for the market on Rendon? Rosenthal reiterates several other recent reports indicating that the Nationals are unlikely to bring back their star third bagger. The Rangers and Angels appear to be the leading contenders to secure the services of the smooth-swinging 29-year-old.
As for the Dodgers, if indeed they fall out of the Rendon bidding they’ll presumably keep moving down the line of options. The club is said to have interest in Josh Donaldson, Madison Bumgarner, and several other possible free agent and trade targets.
good for the Rangers
I disagree. The Dodgers are making the smart move by dropping out in this crazy market. 2 good players are better than 1
Dodgers and smart moves don’t go together. Sounds like LA wants to cut budget.
Must be why they keep going to the WS.
You been hibernating since 2018? Don’t recall seeing the Dodgers past the divisional series in 2019 unless I missed something.
You are aware they did not go to the World Series last season right?
Very aware but I’m also aware that they dominate their division and are in contention for a title every year. Friedman won in Tampa and is now winning in LA. The guy knows what he’s doing. They can always fire him and hire Dombrowski to come in and burn the place down. Might win a title and you might not.
The Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball over the last 5 years, don’t make smart moves? In that period, they have made the WS twice, the only other team to do that, had to cheat.
“The Dodgers must trade Verdugo and Buehler to get Yu Darvish” – madmanTX, July 2017
Coulda sworn the Nationals won it this year
Just give Dombrowski that chance and he’ll for sure burn it all to the ground.
An NLDS loss last year was the accumulation of cutting the payroll 2 years in a row after 2017.
Madman? Explains the ignorant comment I guess
It looked like an accumulation of poor bullpen choices, to me.
OMG! You are right. They only went to the WS two out of the last three years. Terrible!
With Kasten and Friedman running the show, they will always find a way to screw free agency up
I don’t recall Tampa winning a WS. Are you thinking of the year the Phillies won?
In sports, if you’re not first, you’re last.
@charles stevens, I don’t have a horse in either the LA or Tex race, but I must say, that was $%#^ funny….TY
The Dodgers were in the World Series last year??? I must have missed that. Silly me thought it was the Nationals who spanked them in the playoffs on their way to the pennant and world series championship
He was not aware. Lol
Friedman is good but the fact is he has never won a championship in his life with any team.
Sure he wins division titles. So what. Enjoy that if you want
OMG they only went to the World Series twice in the past 31 years! That sucks.
Congratulations to the Montreal Expos on their first World Series victory!
What’s missing in the discussion of free agent contracts is any sense of opportunity cost. If you pay player X, say, $210 million (30 million for seven years), what do you have to give up? If your answer is “nothing,” then clearly you’re living in a fantasy world. At the very least you are probably going to have to pare down other salaries, non-tender some pretty good players, forego the extra year for a desirable reliever, etc., etc., etc. Too often those mega-deals result in a roster with a couple of very expensive superstars and quite a few fringe players who are replaced year after year.
Very well said.
Realsox great post. my Cubs would Agree with you as well . Dodgers do it for the most part the right way . Always in a position to make the World Series . Anything can happen in baseball. Look back in 9 years and see how Yankees do. Dodgers guns for hire at trade deadline didn’t work out . Darvish and Machado got them to Workd Series but couldn’t win game 7 This year they stayed out of trade deadline and didn’t even make the nlcs .
Not unless you choose wisely and get a little lucky
0 players is cheaper than any
lmao
The Dodgers don’t need 2 “good” players. They have a ton of “good” players. They need someone to push them over the edge
When there is a limit on roster spots, two good players aren’t always better than one.
TEX will probably land him and blow their whole wad on a guy that no other team was interested in even coming close to matching his asking price.
I would be SHOCKED if the Angels didnt sign Rendon then flip Marsh + (Rengigo or Fletcher) for a front line cost controlled starter.
Texas has no elite players in the pipeline and Mazara didn’t work out. Outside of Gallo they have no one who will require big dollars. Outbidding the Angels might be a good idea.
Rendon to the Dodgers confirmed
whom confirmed it?
I think this is a reference to the fact that the dodgers constantly lie to the public about their plans and what is going on behind the scenes. They do this much more obviously and blatantly than any other mlb team.
The media constantly reports the Dodgers to be involved with everyone because they have a ton of money.
Also Nightengale is quite often VERY wrong about things. Like so wrong that a lot of people suspect teams “leak” him false information because they know he will report it.
If they want to guarantee never winning a world series they should definitely sign Rendon.
Money they’d give him should go straight to the rotation and pen.
They’d still have money for both. 2nd largest market, leads the league in attendance every year, and has a billion TV deal. Smoke and mirrors.
bruh how are you gonna get outbid by the Angels and Rangers………….
The Dodgers don’t need Rendon….
Their postseason approach and performance with RISP would say otherwise.
They need pitching not position players.
They need both. How did Seager, Bellinger, Lux, and pollock perform in the postseason? It isn’t about winning the division, it’s about winning it all.
Yup, they can fold in the postseason with a cheaper version of him.
I’m sure the padres can teach the dodgers how to win big games
Don’t mind him, he has a very serious case of Dodgers envy
Doyers have earned a place down under (and I don’t mean Australia) because they’ve turned off the TVs to their fans for SIX YEARS. Time Warner gave them $300M times 25 years for television rights and the Dodgers said goodbye to 70% of their former viewing audience. $300M per year comes into their bank account before ticket sales and all other normal MLB revenues and they say they can’t afford premium priced studs. All the other clubs can afford them.
So you’re just going to ignore that they have and will continue to dominate the Padres who decided to dump a ton of money into 2 players that didn’t move the needle for them?
Wow dude you sure know your dodgers. It’s okay you can change your name to Iheartdodgers you don’t have to pretend to be a padres fan.
Oh thank god, I’ve been waiting for the rangers to make a damn move for the last 8 years
To what still finish 2nd to
Houston again
Gotta feeling the astros trending downward.
Rangers still probably finish 3rd with rendon.
They’re just trying to make a splash going into a new park. I personally think the owners are about to put the team up for sale.
The Rangers will be lucky to finish 3rd behind “A{ and Astros no matter who they sign.
Yup, Houston or any other swinging hick.
As long as the Dodgers try to get short term deals they aren’t going to get any of the big fish out there.
Name the last big time star that was a FA that took a short term deal?
Donaldson, Didi?
Big stars?
Donaldson was hurt last year and took a prove it offer, if he was healthy and put up those numbers would he have taken a 1 year deal?
As for DiDi same thing was hurt, taking a prove it deal.
Yoenis Cespedes when he took the 3 year deal with the mets that was a 1 year opt out with 2 years attached to safe guard in the event of injury. Everyone knew if was going to opt out after that 1 year and wound up signing a new 5 year or so deal.
Rangers need to move on this fast
bruh how are you gonna get outbid by the Angels and Rangers…………….
As for the rangers, there’s no state income tax. Where as most of his income in california would be taxed at a little over 12%. Meaning that the Dodgers would have to offer about 12% more money than the rangers for the deal to be equal on a financial level for rendon.
Valid point, though the difference is only about 6% of a player’s total annual salary.
A player choosing the Dodgers over Texas would play all 81 of his home games in California but the same number of away games in California against the two other NL West teams based in California as a he would staying with Texas and playing AL West rivalry matchups in Anaheim and Oakland.
If you are going after Rendon, even if you don’t get him, there is a good chance you’ll end up with Donnaldson. As an Angel fan, I’d take either one.
The Dodgers aren’t going to pay market value – the hell you say. Looks like next year they’ll be able to build 2 100 million dollar beer gardens.
I mean…that sounds good
2 bobble heads a game!
Lol….shocking!
The Dodgers being the Dodgers
Still not convinced the Nats are out. With all the money deferred on Stras they have plenty of room.
Agreed. Rosenthal’s saying the unlikeliness is coming from previous reports that say it’ll be hard for the Nats to resign him. There are other reports that say 1) the Nats have the payroll room to fit him in even if his AAV ends up at $40m and 2) the fact that Stras is actively urging him to resign, has the same agent, and told Boras to structure his own contract to allow for Rendon to also fit. Feel like that’s not being brought up at all in this article.
If your willing to give Cole 300 million you should give Rendon somewhere in the 200s. Come on.
They’re willing to give Rendon 200 as long as someone else is willing to give 210
Who says they were willing to give Cole 300 million?
Only posters here who seem to have to justify why the Dodgers didn’t actually make him an offer.
Hey Yanks. Why don’t you sign Rendon also. Give him a Nice 300M Contract. You Love throwing money around like Water…
I hate the Yankees but you should be banned from the internet.
It wasn’t the Yankees with the highest payroll last season…
So the Sawx got Price, Sale, Panda at the discount store?
David Price, Nathan Eovaldi, JD Martinez, Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts all say hi
Coming from a Boston fan? Hahahahahahah. Wanna talk about Adrian Gonzales, Carl Crawford, David price? Just to name a few?
Also Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. LMAO
Forgot about Carl. Loved the way Cashman made Theo bid up for his services. That is probablyjust as worse as Ells’ contract.
Pessimistic about their chances? Or pessimistic about their money supply? It’s not a lottery. There’s no chance involved. Teams that dont want to pay should just say they don’t want to pay.
How many tickets do they sell while supposedly making a push for big free agents?
Nearly 4 million, while demanding season ticket deposits in August, raising prices every year, and controlling the resell market.
Right with the exception of deposits. They demanded full payment in August this year. Last year was in September. The year(s) before it was December. If the trend holds next year it will be at the All Star break, which since the game is being played at Dodger Stadium, will be an ideal time for ownership to fleece the fans.
the dodgers always tease us with mentioning were in on great free agents, then they don’t sign or trade for anyone good.
You mean the team that has the most wins in MLB since 2011.
Poor Dodgers fans.
How many WS titles though?
THREE less than the sexy San Francisco Giants. You know, the guys who stepped on your skulls on their way to WS Champion crowns in 2010, 2012 and 2014!!!.
Haha the Padres are so awful you have to troll us with Giants trash talk…good for you buddy keep up the good work
No, he means the team that last won a WS in 1888, three centuries ago.
Dude…no
Seriously, If I see another “depressed” dodger fan I’m going to vomit in my lap.
David Price lol
David Price actually makes a lot of sense. He had a FIP last season of only 3.62. He also has something Kershaw and Gerrit Cole don’t have — a World Series ring — which he got only a little over a year ago.
Never understood the interest in the first place. They have a very good 3B and hitting very much isn’t their problem. Sure Turner’s old and near the end of his deal, but Seager’s probably ticketed for 3rd and Gavin Lux is on the way. Or they could grab Lindor or Correa.
Turner is aging. They need a replacement and have no in house option.
Kole’s an excellent OF- his .236 isn’t outstanding but it doesn’t tell the whole tale….career-high 33 doinkers on the season from a left handed bat, plus the guy is a well-above average defender…..anyone who has to play against the Dodgers often enough should be interested as he has very good numbers against them….overall on a one or two year deal this guy will be well worth it- miss him on the Angels but best of luck to him!
and so goes another Dodgers free agent off season……never sign the impact player or go the extra yard to win. They draw nearly 4 million and have revenue streams second to only the a Yankees but there commitment to winning is light years from them. They’ll win 92-102 games and fall short again. 32 years and counting…….
106 wins in 2019 not good enough for you – that’s pathetic. MLB post season is a crap shoot with the best team on paper seldom winning.
Can’t wait to be reading this in 2029
It’s been 32 years and no 106 means nothing when you’re blown out easily in the post season.
Dear senioreditor: Yup, that’s right: 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900- – – 1925- – -1950- – – 1975- – – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019!!! “Momma, papa, are we there yet?”
Dude…go away
Are the Angels really that interested? So from Cole to Rendon not bad but still Angels need pitching.
Might as well get the best offensive weapon on the market to team up with Trout. The 2nd tier pitching market is all that’s left. They could easily swing Rendon, and 2/3 from Madbum, Kuchel, Ryu. Trade for some Catching and they competing for a 2nd WC at least.
They COULD easily “swing Rendon, and 2/3 from Madbum, Kuchel, Ryu”, and that would make a difference. But WILL they?
Arte Moreno is the best owner in baseball. Great guy too.
Angels primary concern NEEDS to be pitching- not signing Gerrit Cole is NOT the end of the world. Though his skills would have been a huge help, Angels have a ton of cash to spend (note Eppler’s comments) and could go out and grab 2 or even three decent starters. That said, we could use a consistent third baseman and that extra bat would be helpful (though David Fletcher is gonna be a guy to watch these next few seasons- he’s Mr Clutch). I’m totally ok with Angels signing Rendon as LONG AS WE ALSO SIGN SOME GOOD PITCHING- no Harvey or Cahill deals allowed- bundy is a good start but we need more.
No such thing as clutch. It is a figment of your imagination.
Arte and Eppler will be tricked into trading for Price (he’s like Vernon Wells 2.0) huge mistake! They should sign Rendon and Madbum,then Castro and possibly 1 of Ryu/Roark/Porcello/Miley.
If they can afford it that’s what they should do. I agree.
L.A. Dodgers, the richest small market team in the league…
As I predicted long ago. The Dodgers are not signing any premium free agents. They have repeatedly stated they are happy just making the playoffs. They also said they will stay under the luxury tax and develop the farm.
They will probably sign Hill for $10 million and a few spare parts type of relievers. That is it. Friedman has stated winning a WS is purely luck. His goal is to make it to the playoffs and hope they get lucky. LOL.
So, they’re farmers.
The Dodger’s have not stated that any time in recent history, and if your going to post such nonsense all the way around, please do so under a non iconic and legends name. Your embarrassing yourself.
At this point, I would rather they did nothing until someone else signs Bum….I do not want to see that 92 mph fastball getting hammered in Dodger Stadium unless he is the opposing pitcher
Idk if id do lux and may for a would be free agent. Dodgers fascination with trying to upgrade 3rd is puzzling when there rotation outside buehler was terrible in playoffs. At this stage kershaw is a 4 and maybe a 5 come playoffs. Need to bundle assets to trade for good young pitchers….luis castillo, thor, degrom(if available) head scratching.
I would be fine with Lux but May too? I would like to see what he could do in the closer role
Kershaw is no worse than a 2. Have you bothered to look at his stats for last season? Yes he chokes in the Playoffs. But he is money during the regular season.
……but he choked in the playoffs, again. Great in the regular season, terrible in the playoffs = not worth what hes making.
There is nothing worse than giving the coach all the blame for a loss or all the credit for a win however Roberts, or whoever in the front office is making lineup changes, is to blame for game 5…Kolarek had been lights out
@vin skully Only casual fans like yourself look at overall stats instead of against who they play. The numbers look great but keep in mind he plays padres, rockies, giants, diamondbacks half the year. In games that matter most he isnt even a 2 gives up 4/5 runs against good teams. This is highlighted by his terrible performances in playoffs almost 2/3 runs higher than regular season. Again mediocre player and not worth nearly half of what we pay him.
So, Vin Scully—great during the engagement period but not so much at honeymoon time, huh? Isn’t that ($30M) special….
Do the Dodgers see Smith or Ruiz as their C of the future?
Smith…my best guess is that Keibert is moved this offseason once they avoid doling out a huge contract to the big 3.
Thanks.
Neither. The C of the future, but is still a cpl years away, is Diego Cartaya. Smith is hopefully a solid bridge until he’s ready.
I suspect that Ruiz would have already been traded to the Pirates or sent there early this offseason in a deal for Felipe Vazquez had it not been for the former Pirates closer’s alleged criminal behavior.
C’mon antonetti time to ship out Klub and lindor. Tired of both.
Rendon is gonna cost 10 years $320 Million. Boras World
The Dodgers don’t like to go That many years for anybody. Smart play by them. Too many years to see into the future commitment wise.
Rendon has publicly said he doesn’t want that long a contract. Think it’ll end up being around 7/$250-260M
My Padres got Machado 10/$300M. Doyers have never stepped up like that.
and look how far that got ya….
Stepped up or been that stupid? Sorry you don’t see the difference
Makes sense, since Machado never stepped up for the Dodgers.
As a Tribe fan I’d take Lux and May for Lindor. Dodgers would not only get their man, but I’d think they would extend him pretty quick.
And possible Tribe-Dodgers trade might require a period to try to agree on an extension with Lindor.
You have two years to work out an extension.
Which could be problematic since the Dodgers don’t like to spend that many dollars.
The Dodgers weren’t even in the same universe as the Yanks in the bidding. Was they really any doubt where Cole was going. See? The Yanks did them a huge favor. Now the Dodgers don’t have to spend the money they didn’t want to spent anyways.
Dodger’s offer was reported at 8 yrs for $300M. Higher AAV ($37.5) than Yanks offer and never got the chance to up it as Cole wanted to play for New York. I don’t see how you can claim their offer wasn’t in the same universe. You’re right though – New York did them a huge favor by not saddling them with that kind of commitment. The Yanks learned nothing from the ARod deal.
It’s a little early to tell how the deal works out. There are pitchers who pitch well into their mid- to late thirties or beyond. Consider Scherzer, Verlander, Mussina…
No offer by the Dodgers to Cole was ever reported. Maybe you have an exclusive source?
But I’m sure glad the Dodgers aren’t going to be saddled with top free agents. They might win a championship and we wouldn’t want that, no sir.
If the Indians will take a couple MLB ready guys like Stripling in place of May, I think the Lindor deal gets done. They don’t want to give up Lux, but you do it to get a generational talent like Lindor.
I’m with ya.
The Angel’s need pitching and the Nats would love Rendon back but cant afford him. How about a good old fashioned SIGN AND TRADE. Angel’s sign Rendon, then trade him to the Nats for Corbin and Joe Ross. Win win for both clubs!
Why not send Lindor and Kluber to Dodgers. Dodgers need SP still. Risky play but if Kluber returns to form or close to it they would then cover two needs in one trade, in a big way. Send May, Downs, Ruiz and Gonsolin and it plays well for both clubs. I agree with a lot of you that its hard to see Dodger fans complain about all these wins and division titles because its not a World Series. But to their point, the front office is like beating a dead horse here by rolling out the same squad every year and coming up a little short. Make the bold play and try to get over the hump. If it fails at least they tried and its not like they will go into purgatory since they still have a good core of young players and a good farm system even if they ship some of it out in a trade.
If we are sending both Lindor and Kluber then we would need Lux to be part of the deal. Lux plus several of the guys you mentioned.
Nate, Cleveland is looking for MLB ready bats as starting pitching is their strength. Lux has to be in the deal as Cleveland needs a controllable MLB ready bat for 2020 and he plays a position of need. Downs and Ruiz are not MLB ready and Cleveland has the AL Gold Glove catcher. Remember that both teams needs must be met for a deal to take place.
While I am not at all surprised, it is good to know that the Dodgers appear to be leaning against pursuing Rendón. Stupid money has once again surfaced this off-season.
I acknowledge the Dodgers could use an elite SP–far more than they need an elite 3B. The prices paid for Cole and Stausburg we’re absurd and, just like all other stupid money payers over the past 30 years, the Yankees and Nationals will regret these signings. Once again, we are seeing premium prices paid for players who will most likely never produce in the future they way they have in the past.
While I may well represent a minority here, this is one Dodger fan who is very comfortable moving forward with the same philosophy that’s produced seven consecutive division championships.
As in keep doing the same thing while expecting a different result.
No, not at all. I’m actually very comfortable and content with the results the LAD have produced over the past seven years and if they do anything comparable over the next seven I will be very happy. Winning the World Series is not an obsession with me. I enjoy following baseball very much from March through October. Spring, summer and fall has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me following baseball. I am one who believes that winning the World Series is far more about luck for those teams that make the playoffs then it is about implementing some magical formula or paying/trading for players who miraculously perform well in October. i’ve been a Dodger fan for over 55 years and I have never enjoyed a seven year stretch like I have the past seven years. Of course, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988 were wonderful. That said, my enjoyment of baseball and the Dodgers is much more than my memories of those five years. I have no idea how long you’ve been a fan or what team you are a fan of. If it’s just about winning a World Series for you, that’s too bad.
I’m a Yankee fan. They’ve been over .500 for like 25 years now. They are almost always in contention. I appreciate and enjoy that but there is nothing like winning a title. I’ve experienced 8 now in my lifetime, so I know whereof I speak. I much prefer watching my team make the extra effort to get over the hump to try and win the thing than just go back out with the same crew that didn’t quite get it done.
Championship shampionship, carpet baggers getting even more rich is what you want out of your club in the 21st century
Spot on Norcal
You are in a definite minority among Dodger fans, maybe not here but certainly in general. One guess for why is because you don’t get to games and aren’t paying the ticket prices that have gone up more than 50% in the last two years, or have any sense of the vibe at Dodger Stadium lately. You are also in a minority in that some of us want this drought broken while we are still able to get to games or at least are still alive. We know it’s hardly unprecedented for a team to go a century without a championship, for generations of fans to be born, live, and die without one. A team that does that to its fans when they have the means to do otherwise isn’t serving the fans, the people who pay the bills, they are serving themselves.
People have been calling free agent contracts “absurd” since free agency was created. It isn’t an argument for anything except maybe not coming in better than second. If the Yankees manage to win a championship over the next few seasons I’m sure their fans will be too busy celebrating to worry about the team balances the their books.
I truly think the Rangers really want this Rendon to be the heir to Beltre for the 3b job. I am confident the Rangers will sign this guy. This is a critical need for the Rangers and not so much for the Angels.
Ignorant thought process tbh. Angels have just as much a need as rangers do….if anything rangers make no sense seeing as they are a bad team and with him arent better than a’s, astros or angels.
Yet this is the same thought process I read over and over pertaining to Cole. That the Angels needed him more. As if that’s the factor that decides where a player goes. And as if it was true in the first place. The Yankees needed him to match up against just about anyone else they’d face in the postseason. They needed him at least as much.
Rangers will be better than the angles if they land Rendon. He’s from Houston, and still lives there. He may choose the Rangers’ if the money is close + playing in state-less income tax may just be the right push for the Rangers’ to land him.
Oh, what genius will Friedman pull out of his arse now?
An Opening Day lineup that goes Turner-Lindor-Arenado-Bellinger-Muncy-Haniger-Smith-Pollock?
Same old Dodgers. Every year they are going to “ improve” and never do. The way they protect prospects is amazing. But did I miss it I haven’t a World Series Flag now for 31 years. Oh that is okay Friedman is smarter than the rest
Way to prove your handle…..as usual
They make the playoffs as much as the Yankees do, and the Yankees have 1 title since 2001. Where’s this energy for the Yankees, who do the exact same thing?
Another 9-year-old with pent-up Yankee hate wakes up. The one who predicted the Yanks would not get Cole, no less. Must be time for eating your hat online… unless you prefer raw crow.
Yeah, it’s too bad he didn’t ship Bellinger out, oh wait
Billy Inept-pler cant close a deal, so we know the Angels dont have a chance
Gavin Lux will be a huge bust. Mark my words. Keep Lindor, Cleveland.
Seems like an out there comment, even for a MLBtr commenter. Just curious, why do you think this?
Wouldn’t it make some sense for Seager to be included in the return?
He probably would be.
Lux, May, Ruiz, Verdugo, and Busch, otherwise go away Dodgers and watch the Yankees win another WS.
Lol
More and more it feels like the Dodgers expect free agents to sign cut-rate contracts with them for the privilege of playing in LA. How is that working out? Turns out if you don’t pay the man, you don’t get the man. Shocking. Who would have guessed, except everybody else in baseball?
If the Indians are going to trade Lindor, and I will be very angry if they do…… They had better get back a package of Vurdugo, Lux, May, Ruiz and at least one more top prospect in return from the Dodgers! The Indians should not trade Lindor unless they are certain that they will get at least 3 future All Stars in the trade.
And the odds are that one or more of the Dodgers prospects will bust.
Exactly how do you guarantee future All-Stars?
No. I understand that you can’t guarantee any player to wind up an All Star. That’s kind of my point. The Dodgers would have to give me at least a package of Verdugo, Lux, May, Ruiz and another good prospect for me to even consider trading Lindor to them. The odds are that one or more of those guys will wind up being a bust.
I’m just saying that if I’m the Indians I don’t trade Lindor at this time unless I feel very strongly that at least 3 of the players that we get are going to be All Star level players.
Verdugo already looks like he’s going to be average at best, Gavin Lux probably doesn’t have a position in the immediate future.
I’d trade both of those guys in a heartbeat for Lindor, but if I’m the Dodgers I not only hang up but block Cleveland’s number the moment they ask for May and Ruiz.
I’d say it’d take 2 of the 4 if he had one year left. With 2 years, 3 of the 4 probably isnt that much a of a stretch to ask for, but I doubt it’d happen.
For two years of Lindor I’m sure they’ll throw in all of their firstborn male children too.
If Rendon’s best options are the Rangers and Angels, I feel like he takes less money to stay in DC.
Or at least a massively backloaded deal with incentives the first couple years so he can increase his money in the short term.
Congratulations to the Montreal Expos on their first World Series victory!
I’d support sending Lindor and a top pitching prospect like Plesac or Civale in exchange for a package that includes both May and Lux. If it’s Lindor and Kluber, then it’d HAVE to be Lux, May and a couple of other prospects. People act like Kluber’s on the downswing and a big risk but, let’s not forget – the guy was out last year because he broke his arm, not because he has some sort of nagging back or shoulder issue. He should recover fine, and let’s not forget he won the Cy Young in 2017 and finished 3rd in 2018.
If LAD, is serious about finally winning a WS, then they should give up Lux and May for Lindor. They can fill the 2B hole with a cheap player like Joe Panik and probably even grab Kluber for the rotation too (Salary is high and coming off a down year, CLE might not ask for much more for him to be included with Lindor). Seager moves to 3B and Turner to 1B.. Keep Bellinger in OF and either trade or release Muncy.
Cleveland is not looking for a salary dump with Corey Kluber. If they wanted out of his salary they could have just declined his 2020 option. Kluber has value and they will not give him away.
Scary thought is the latest rumors have Lindor and Clevinger going to LA which I think would be dumb on the Tribe’s part. I get it that Lindor’s day are numbered since he’ll never re-up in Cleveland but to give up Clevinger would not be wise IMO. He’s got top of the rotation stuff, look at how he started last season before getting hurt.