MLB Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Best Fits for Indians' Francisco Lindor

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor could be the best player on the move during the 2020 MLB offseason as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract.

Lindor has earned four straight All-Star selections and finished in the top 10 of AL MVP Award voting three consecutive times beginning in 2016. He's also a high-end defender, winning two Gold Glove Awards and ranking fourth among all shortstops in defensive runs saved since 2015, per FanGraphs.

Although those are hallmarks of a legitimate franchise player, the Tribe may not be able to compete with the lucrative offers the 26-year-old Puerto Rico native is likely to receive in free agency after the 2021 season. In turn, trading him now may be the front office's best bet.

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reported there's "no realistic reason" to believe the Indians will be able to retain Lindor, which makes him an "obvious trade candidate." Joe Noga of Cleveland.com added the "notion of trading away a franchise cornerstone is about to become reality for the Indians." Zack Meisel of The Athletic called him "perhaps the most likely trade candidate in the sport."

With that in mind, let's analyze some of the potential landing spots for the five-tool superstar.

The Mets are the most logical destination for Lindor for a multitude of reasons.

Mainly, they could use another high-end offensive weapon in the top third of their batting order after ranking 13th in runs this year. Shortstop is one of the areas where they could see the biggest increase in production after ranking tied for 19th in WAR at the position, per FanGraphs.

Steve Cohen, a multibillionaire in line to become the Mets' new owner, could also look to major splash before his first season leading the organization. Axios' Kendall Baker noted it's a "significant" edge for the club to have an owner whose net worth is more than three times the next wealthiest MLB owner.

A potential hurdle exists, though. Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer reported Lindor is "not interested" in joining either of the New York teams.

The shortstop doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can't stop a deal, but it would be difficult to give up the necessary assets to acquire him without a guarantee he'll stay beyond 2021.

That said, trying to land Lindor is the type of move that could vault the Mets toward the top of the NL East, which is set to remain one of baseball's toughest divisions for the foreseeable future.

The Reds reached the playoffs in 2020 despite an offense that ranked 27th in runs. Those offensive deficiencies were on full display in the first round of the postseason, however, as they failed to score a run across 22 innings in a two-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves.

Bringing in Lindor to likely serve in the leadoff spot ahead of Nick Castellanos, Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Mike Moustakas would at least give Cincinnati more depth at the top of the order. Creating more situations where Votto, Suarez and Moustakas have a chance to drive in runs is essential.

The concern for the Reds would be the asking price from a farm system Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked No. 17 because of its lack of depth.

"There's no shortage of upper-echelon talent in this system, but it lacks the depth of some of the farms ranked ahead of it," Reuter wrote in September.

If the Reds give up multiple top prospects for Lindor, it could leave the minor league ranks quite barren and force the team into a World Series-or-bust mode it might not be quite ready for at this stage.

On the flip side, there isn't a better bet to revitalize their offense for 2021 than Lindor.

Mike Trout is building one of the best resumes in baseball history, highlighted by three AL MVP awards at the age of 29, and yet he's amassed only 12 postseason at-bats because of the Angels' struggles. The front office has to do everything in its power to turn things around while he's still near his peak.

Some key steps were taken last offseason, led by the additions of slugger Anthony Rendon and starting pitcher Dylan Bundy, but it wasn't enough as L.A. finished with a 26-34 record.

Andrelton Simmons is set to become a free agent, which could leave a void at shortstop, and there's no better option to replace him than Lindor.

The Angels could face a money crunch if they want to keep him for the long haul. They already have $101.7 million committed to salaries in 2022, when Lindor will be due to start his next contract. It's a total that ranks fourth in MLB, per Spotrac.

That said, the Los Angeles front office isn't in a position to cut corners in its building effort. The club is running out of time to build a championship contender around Trout, and it's rare a player with Lindor's ability becomes available. It's an all-in risk they have to consider.