MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Francisco Lindor, Willson Contreras, Blue Jays
The MLB offseason is in full swing, and much of the early buzz has surrounded a free-agent market headlined by Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Madison Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
However, there have also been a few notable rumblings on the trade market, and with the annual general manager meetings set to begin Monday in Phoenix, plenty more interesting tidbits could begin trickling out in the next week.
For now, we've pulled together a few of the more notable rumors currently circulating on the rumor mill for an early overview of this year's trade market.
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Check back each Monday morning for an updated roundup of the latest MLB trade rumors.
Willson Contreras on the block?
With limited payroll flexibility and some glaring holes on the pitching side of things, many expect the Chicago Cubs to deal one of their homegrown stars on the offensive side of things.
While the early buzz centered around Kris Bryant and Javier Baez as potential trade chips, catcher Willson Contreras has seemingly become the new focal point of trade rumors.
Contreras, 27, is undoubtedly one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, and he has been since first breaking into the majors in 2016.
Despite missing a good chunk of time in 2019 with a hamstring injury, he still hit .272/.355/.533 for a 125 OPS+ while slugging a career-high 24 home runs and posting 3.1 WAR in 105 games.
His below-average framing skills and the presence of Victor Caratini as a viable replacement have led to the latest wave of speculation he could be the one on the move from the Cubs' offensive core.
The Cubs would likely be looking for controllable starting pitching in any deal involving a significant MLB contributor. They will need to fill the rotation spot opened up by the departure of Cole Hamels and in general need to improve the organization's overall pitching depth.
Dodgers to pursue Francisco Lindor
The Los Angeles Dodgers could be eyeing a significant addition to the infield.
According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, Cleveland Indians superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor is already on the team's radar as it looks to improve after a disappointing early postseason exit:
"Sources say the Dodgers are expected to pursue a trade for Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor as one possible addition to an offense that managed only a .303 on-base percentage during this month’s National League Division Series loss to the Nationals."
The 25-year-old Lindor is under team control for two more seasons, and while it's hard to envision the Indians dealing their best player while their window to contend is still open, that's the financial reality of things in Cleveland. It's highly unlikely the team will be able to afford to keep him beyond 2021, so flipping him at some point has to at least be considered.
While making a fourth straight AL All-Star team last year, Lindor hit .284/.335/.518 with 40 doubles and 32 home runs in a 4.7 WAR season. He's been worth an eye-popping 28.6 WAR over the first five seasons of his career.
The immediate fit in Los Angeles is not clear with Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Corey Seager and Justin Turner currently slated to start across the infield, but no team is better at using platoons to get the most out of its full contingent of offensive players, so that's not as big an issue as it might seem.
The Dodgers would likely cling tight to Lux, young catcher Will Smith and right-hander Dustin May, but there is still plenty of talent to build an attractive trade package around.
Would catcher Keibert Ruiz and right-hander Josiah Gray be a good enough prospect tandem to get a deal started?
The Lindor situation will be a compelling one to monitor throughout the offseason.
Blue Jays catchers drawing interest
The Toronto Blue Jays have already made one trade this offseason, acquiring right-hander Chase Anderson from the Milwaukee Brewers.
There could be more to come.
According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, the team's catchers "have been drawing interest from other clubs" as they look for further ways to bolster the pitching staff.
Danny Jansen was the team's primary backstop, while fellow rookie Reese McGuire performed well in his first taste of MLB action:
Luke Maile also saw time behind the plate, but opposing teams are likely focused on the two younger options as opposed to the 28-year-old career backup.
While the offensive numbers don't jump off the page for Jansen, the 24-year-old has a strong track record of success at the plate and good power potential, and he was a standout defender in his rookie season with a 31 percent caught-stealing rate and 12 DRS.
With Yasmani Grandal, Robinson Chirinos and Travis d'Arnaud headlining a deep crop of free-agent catchers, Jansen and McGuire could represent cheaper alternatives for teams looking to upgrade behind the dish, at least from a salary standpoint.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.
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