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Lindor trade ideas

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Personally, I don’t think the Indians would have a chance in hell in acquiring a player of Dom Smith’s ability, straight up, for one year of Francisco Lindor.

But since the Mets have a glut of 1B/LF/DH types, it might just work.

I mean, the guy is just 25 and had an .881 and .993 OPS the past two seasons.

Not sure why anyone would be unhappy with that type of return.
 
But the Indians have a bit of a glut of 1B/LF/DH type too and Smith is already in arbitration. I like Smith's bat a lot and he'd probably be the 2nd best hitter on the team, just not the direction I see the Indians going.

We will see though. While the Indians don't rebuild per se, I see them "reshuffling" with the future moreso in mind than the present. If that makes sense.
 
Urban said:
But the Indians have a bit of a glut of 1B/LF/DH type too and Smith is already in arbitration. I like Smith's bat a lot and he'd probably be the 2nd best hitter on the team, just not the direction I see the Indians going.

We will see though. While the Indians don't rebuild per se, I see them "reshuffling" with the future moreso in mind than the present. If that makes sense.
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They don't have anyone nearly as talented. I know it was a shortened season, but Dom Smith had a higher OPS+ than JRam in each of the last two years. He's locked up 3 more years and would solidify the middle of our lineup. Get him along with a younger prospect or two that doesn't need to be on the 40 Man Roster and I'd be thrilled.

DH-Reyes
C-Perez
1B-Smith
2B/SS-Chang and stopgap
3B-Ramirez
LF-Naylor
CF-Mercado
RF-Johnson

Nolan Jones becomes an option in May or June as well. Honestly, I think they could contend as much as they did before with that group.
 
I see your point Steve, but that outfield looks strangely like the failures of last year.
 
biggie4 said:
I see your point Steve, but that outfield looks strangely like the failures of last year.
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It depends what part of last year we're talking. I think the group has much more potential than the Luplow/Mercado/Santana outfield we started 2021 with.

Josh Naylor would hold down LF in this scenario and I definitely believe in his bat. It's fair to expect at least league-average production. Daniel Johnson has hit at every level, and Nolan Jones' bat is pretty special. He may need a platoon partner, at least early on, and that's where Luplow comes in.

Maybe the production from the group won't be great in 2021, but the upside far outweighs 2020.
 
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Steve_424 said:
It depends what part of last year we're talking. I think the group has much more potential than the Luplow/Mercado/Santana outfield we started 2021 with.

Josh Naylor would hold down LF in this scenario and I definitely believe in his bat. It's fair to expect at least league-average production. Daniel Johnson has hit at every level, and Nolan Jones' bat is pretty special. He may need a platoon partner, at least early on, and that's where Luplow comes in.

Maybe the production from the group won't be great in 2021, but the upside far outweighs 2020.
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Steve, I don't disagree at all with your thoughts here. I like Smith's bat, but you haven't answered my question as to what would happen with Bradley and Bauers? I think that Johnson can play a legit CF which would allow Jones or whoever to man RF, but there are some that disagree. You could even platoon Mercado and Johnson if desired while having Luplow to protect Jones. That's a severely defensively suspect OF, but maybe they will surprise. Luplow and Mercado could be late inning defensive replacements as well. If Jones isn't ready then maybe that's Luplow's opportunity to prove he's more than just a platoon bat.

Having said that, Bradley has clearly made an effort to better prepare himself for success. I'd like to see if his efforts bear any fruit because the upside is huge. The only way that can happen if Smith was acquired is if Naylor moves to RF or is sent to Columbus allowing Smith to play LF.

That's the OF. Now let's look at the IF. In this scenario we would have Ramirez at 3B and Smith at 1B. Unless you get Smith and Rosario then we will live or die by Chang's performance. We basically have Miller for 2B then as Freeman hasn't been above A ball yet. So in the end, I'd take Smith in a deal for Lindor as long as Rosario came with him. That would leave us with:
C- Perez, Hedges
1B- Smith
2B- Chang, Miller
3B- Ramirez
SS- Rosario
LF- Naylor
CF- Johnson, Mercado
RF- Luplow, Jones if/when ready
Reyes- DH

The effectiveness of the offense would ultimately rely on the performances of Naylor, Johnson, Jones, Mercado, Chang, Miller, and Luplow. Almost every team has its share of questionables, but the core of Ramirez, Reyes, and Smith is pretty solid. I'd still like someone like Frazier in RF whose bat fits somewhere in the middle of the lineup. Beggars can't be choosy though.
 
I'd rather roll with Bradley/Bauers/Reyes then trade for Smith.. But wouldn't be that upset if we moved on.

Expect to see quite an uptick of internal guys getting a chance to make it or break it in 2021. Lots of 40 man decisions to made for 2022 regarding in house talent so performers get pushed and those who wither will be trampled over. If we are in it at the deadline we have some trade capital too.
 
A few thoughts...

Smith doesn't hit arby until next year and he's under control for four.

***************

I usually complain about us waiting too long to give our kids a shot, but thats when we constantly bring in retreads to block them. But Smith is no retread. He is better than we can realistically hope that Bradley or Bauers can ever become. And he is only a year older than Bradley, six months older than Bauers.

A log jam isn't what we have. Its what the Mets have.

**************

I also heartily endorse the Tribes emphasis on defense to augment the elite pitching we have.

But face it. If Jose was a butcher in the field, he'd still be a regular on this team.

*************

Elite bats don't grow on trees, and Smith will never offer plus defensive value. But that bat has produced big time already and his peripherals are trending in the right direction.

*********

Assuming that Lindor is traded, we have exactly two productive non platoon MLB bats. Everybody else is a wing and a prayer at the plate. A third one would help a lot.

For conversation, lets say that the Mets are a possible trade partners with two distinct aims....adding an elite SS that will get the fans excited, and restocking the farm system.

We could quite possibly get two young established MLB bats and a decent third piece...if we were willing to send some of our excess prospect capital along with Lindor.
 
CATS44 said:
Assuming that Lindor is traded, we have exactly two productive non platoon MLB bats. Everybody else is a wing and a prayer at the plate. A third one would help a lot.

For conversation, lets say that the Mets are a possible trade partners with two distinct aims....adding an elite SS that will get the fans excited, and restocking the farm system.

We could quite possibly get two young established MLB bats and a decent third piece...if we were willing to send some of our excess prospect capital along with Lindor.
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OK, you guys have convinced me that a trade with the Mets could work. If we sent them Lindor, Luplow, and a good prospect for Smith, Rosario, Vientos, and Szapucki could it work? Is that a fair trade?

I should clarify that the “good prospect” isn’t in the top 10.
 
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Just ready for the letdown.
 
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