Cleveland Indians Table Contract Extension Talks with Their Star Shortstop
Francisco Lindor is the face and franchise of the Cleveland Indians. Despite that though and despite the idea of both sides working on a contract extension, the Indians and Lindor have decided to put those discussions on hold. According to a report by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic Cleveland, those discussions have been shut down for the foreseeable future.
In the article, Lloyd explains although the overall intention is for both parties to still get something done, the focus, for now, is on winning and the 2020 season.
The Extension from the Indians Perspective
For the Cleveland Indians, locking up Lindor prior to the start of the coming season makes a lot of sense. After all, it would be terrific news for the Indians fan base heading into this season. Additionally, it would have helped to cement the future outlook of the team and organization alike. Furthermore, it makes a lot of sense because Lindor has two years remaining before hitting the open market. However, Cleveland tried very hard and came up short in their pursuits.
Although for a small market team like Cleveland, the idea of being able to afford Francisco Lindor and put a competitive team on the field is a concern. The Indians have always been a payroll conscious organization and rightfully so. In a small market, teams have to be careful about how much they are spending in payroll and focus on scouting and player development a lot more. Therefore, Cleveland likely will want a team-friendly extension and one that could potentially look like the deal Christian Yelich signed this past week with the Milwaukee Brewers. However, it will be a significantly higher dollar amount.
The Extension from Francisco Lindor’s Perspective
For Francisco Lindor, the idea of signing an extension with the Cleveland Indians is intriguing. In the article by Jason Lloyd, Lindor himself even said, “It was a good conversation. We couldn’t come up with an agreement. … It didn’t seem like it was (close) from my point of view. It’s the reality we live in. I’m not mad. I continue to express how much I love it here, how much I want to be here. So let’s focus on winning. Let’s focus on the season.”
From that quote alone, it’s easy to see that Francisco Lindor loves playing for the Indians and loves the city of Cleveland. It’s hard to deny the impact that Lindor has had on the organization, the city of Cleveland, and the Indians fanbase. Although, Lindor realizes his worth in the open market as well. Therefore, as is the case with any free agent, Lindor has the right to potentially see what he is worth in free agency. It’s not a guarantee, but it is something that could still happen.
Sometimes, players will take a hometown discount to stay with a team. However, in the case of Francisco Lindor, that doesn’t appear probable based on reports. Still, anything can happen with the right amount of momentum and both sides appear to have plenty of it.
Final Thoughts
In the end, a trade of Francisco Lindor still remains highly unlikely prior to Opening Day. Furthermore, Lindor himself wants to win and wants to do it in Cleveland.
Regardless, Francisco Lindor is a pillar of the Cleveland Indians organization and the Indians feel the same way in return. While there were conscious efforts made this offseason to make an extension happen, those discussions have now been tabled for good. However, that doesn’t mean that if Lindor remains in Cleveland past this coming July, that those discussions can’t be revisited in the future.
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