What I hear about the Francisco Lindor deal with the Mets – Terry’s Talkin ‘Tribe

ABOUT THE FRANCISCO LINDOR TRADE

1. The Indians have finished cutting the payroll. They will save at least $ 30 million on the trade that Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco sent to the Mets. Team president Chris Antonetti said the deal “gives us the financial flexibility to reinvest in the team that will make us more competitive.”

2. The Indians are not going to use all the $ 30 million from the deal for players, but some of it. I hear one of their main targets is the second agent Cesar Hernandez, the free agent, who played so well for the tribe in 2020. He led the American league last season with 20 doubles.

3. I’ll throw it there: it’s a long shot, but what about Michael Brantley? He’s a free agent. I hear the Indians plan to talk to him. Since leaving the tribe, he has played two seasons in Houston. As usual, Brantley batted .300 … that’s .309 (.867 OPS) to be exact. Brantley is 33. I think some team is offering him a lucrative multi-year deal. The Indians can finally look to free agents like Eddie Rosario or Jackie Bradley.

4. The Indians did receive the natives Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario as part of the Lindor agreement. The tribe can go short with Gimenez and Rosario on second. Rosario was a shortstop in his career, but the Indians believe he can easily adapt to second place.

5. The Tribe believes the 22-year-old Gimenez could be their starting short for a long time. They love his glove as it is elite. Gimenez briefly started 22 games for the Mets. He also played 19 games on the second and ten on the third base. But in short, his most important position.

6. The Tribe also believes that Gimenez was rushed to the majors. He jumped from Class AA to the big leagues. Gimenez batted a respectable .263 (.732 OPS) with 3 HR and 12 RBI in 118. He was 8-out-9 in stolen bases. The Indians think he can steal a large base. The Indians do not say this, but I believe they consider Gimenez to be the most important player in the trade.

7. If the Indians sign Hernandez, they can send Gimenez to Class AAA to play regularly. They can open with Rosario in first place and Hernandez in second. Then they could raise Gimenez early in the 2021 season. The Indians tend to be patient with their best prospects.

8. Rosario was ranked in 2017 by Baseball America as the leading number 8 prospect in all of baseball. ESPN placed him as number 3 on his watch list. The 25-year-old has the athletics to be a good regular player. In 2019, he batted .287 (.755 OPS) with 15 HR and 72 RBI.

9. But in 2020, Rosario batted .252 (.643 OPS) and by the end of the season, Gimenez was playing more shortstops. Rosario is not running much, only four times in 147 record appearances in 2020. He is 50-out-75 in stolen bases, just 67%. You want to be at least more than 80%. The Indians believe that he has many natural abilities and needs time to put them together. At least he’s a respected midfielder in the big leagues.

10. Why did the Indians place Carlos Carrasco in the agreement? First, the Mets wanted the right hand. Although the Mets are expected to make a major offer under new ownership Lindor to sign a contract extension, he can still play out the season and reach the open market. Signed for two more seasons plus an option for 2023, Carrasco is linked with the Mets, even if they lose Lindor after 2021.

11. I heard the Indians talked to several teams about Carrasco. While searching, demand was not high. Teams were worried as Carrasco turns 34 on March 21st. He is a surviving leukemia. The disease has knocked him out most of the 2019 season.

12. Around baseball, there is also a sense of caution when the Indians trade a veteran starter jar. Yes, Trevor Bauer was excellent for the Reds in 2020. But he pitched poorly in Cincinnati after being traded by the 2019 deadline. Corey Kluber played one game after retiring in Texas. Mike Clevinger started for San Diego four times, and then injured his elbow and will miss 2021 due to the Tommy John elbow surgery.

13. The Indians were willing to enter into Carrasco not only to move the $ 27 million two-year deal, but also because of their wealth to start pitching. They are likely to open the season with a rotation led by Cy Young winner Shane Bieber. Then came Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac. These are the three largest. They will likely fill the last two spots of this list: Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill and Adam Plutko.

14. The Indians also have some young beginners who could be a factor at some point in 2021: Scott Moss, Logan Allen, Sam Hentges and Eli Morgan. Let’s add Joey Cantillo to the list. He was acquired in the Clevinger agreement with San Diego. The 21-year-old lefty has a 13-7 record and 2.51 ERA in the minors. He is not taller than Class A, but he can develop quickly.

15. Of the second group of appetizers, Moss is my favorite. He is a 26-year-old leftist who was a stargazer at the University of Florida. He was drafted in 2016. His career record in minor leagues is 41-17 with an ERA of 3.28. He had an ERA of 1.93 in four starts for Class AAA Columbus in 2019.

16. The two other players the tribe received in the deal are Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene. Both have been away from the majors for several years. Both were ranked among the Mets’ top ten prospects by various rating systems. Greene has not played any pro-ball yet. He was a second round by the Mets in 2020. Wolf was the Mets’ second round in 2019. Both were high school players when they were drafted.

17. The 6-meter-3 Wolf was so appreciated by the Mets that they gave him a $ 2.1 million sign-up bonus – that was $ 800,000 more than ‘split’ for a second round. He was on his way to Texas A&M until the Mets showed him the money. Wolf’s average fast ball is about 93 km / h and hit 96. Remember, he’s only 20 and adds more power. His pro career consists of 12 knockouts in eight overs in rookie ball in 2019. His best pitch is said to be his move.

18. Greene was the 69th pick in the draft in 2020, an athletic outfielder from Corona High in California. He is a 6-foot-1, left-handed hit. The Indians had low first- / high second-round grades on Wolf and Greene. They decided with younger prospects because they thought they would have more value than the so-so prospects they offered as alternatives.

RECENT TERRY PLUTO COLUMN

Scratched over Francisco Lindor deal with Mets

No Kevin Stefanski, that’s not fair!

Brown scribbled after the game

Brown fans, can you say PLAYOFFS?

I’m trying to convince myself that Browns beat Pittsburgh

Terry’s Talkin ‘4-2 Cavs

Pregame Scribbles: Same Old Browns Label Releases

The Browns finally have a BIG game, how will we react?

New Indian face masks for sale: here you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face masks for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All proceeds from MLB are donated to charity.

Buy Indian Equipment: Fanatics, Nike, Amazon, Lids