Francisco Lindor Says Indians Haven't Offered the 'Right Thing' in Contract Talks
By Jackson Thompson
The Cleveland Indians and Francisco Lindor managed to avoid arbitration this year, but that might not stop Lindor from testing the free agent waters after the 2020 season.
According to The Athletic's Zack Meisel, Lindor has said that the organization hasn't offered him "the right thing" when discussing a longterm extension. Lindor is making $17.5 million in 2020, but his next contract could surpass that of Manny Machado's recent $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres, a price that the Indians are not expected to be eager to pay.
Francisco Lindor with some eyebrow-raising comments about his future.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) February 1, 2020
Said he wants to stay in Cleveland, but “they haven’t offered me the right thing.”
Said he wants to “get paid for a long time,” but also said he’s “not money-driven, I’m championship-driven.”
The 26-year-old Lindor is already a four-time All Star, and has been the heart of the Indians' offense for years now. He boasts a .288 career batting average and has belted 103 homers in the past three seasons.
He's also been a top defensive shortstop early in his career, with two Gold Gloves to his name.
"I know I want to be the shortstop of the Cleveland Indians," Lindor told 3News' Betsy Kling and Jay Crawford during an interview at the annual Tribe Fest event. "I know the front office wants me to be the shortstop of the Cleveland Indians. Sometimes, it's a business. I can't control it. It is what it is."
The Indians had the opportunity to trade Lindor after a disappointing playoff-less season in 2019, but stuck with their young shortstop and will now have an even harder decision to make.
If Cleveland underperforms in 2020, the Lindor trade rumors may swirl again, so time is running out for Cleveland to make a decision on their star player.