Francisco Lindor a Fit for the Boston Red Sox?

[Matthew Lenz]

 

The Boston Red Sox are in the midst of an impressive win streak as they sprint their way back into the playoff picture. With less than two weeks until deadline day, the Red Sox are now looking like bona fide buyers to continue their impressive run.

Jeff Passan of ESPN listed the top 100 trade candidates, which included New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. Coming in as the 12th best trade candidate, he listed the Red Sox (along with three others, including two AL East foes) as a "best fit" for the four-time Silver Slugger.

Lindor, 32, is in the midst of a career-worst season that has been highlighted by a left calf injury that saw him miss two months. When he has been available, he's slashed a paltry .220/.303/.387 (.691 OPS) with just six home runs and two stolen bases. While those numbers are well below his standard and the $32 million salary he's earning, they are only slightly below league average at a 94 wRC+. On the other side of the ball, the two-time Gold Glove winner is still playing a very good shortstop despite the struggles at the plate.

Lindor has a no-trade clause that would need to be waived and is under contract through 2031, when he would be 37 years old. Passan points out that "in the past 20 years, only twice has a shortstop 35 or older put up a three-win season.

Do you think the Red Sox should trade for Lindor in hopes of a bounce-back? Join the conversation in the comments!

 

 

View full rumor

[JoeBrady]

I'd be surprised if the Mets moved him.  It just feels like a tanking if they do.  Not sure why, but Lindor rubs me the wrong way.

[moonslav59]

18 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I'd be surprised if the Mets moved him.  It just feels like a tanking if they do.  Not sure why, but Lindor rubs me the wrong way.

They've admitted they are giving up.

[Michigan Adam2]

It would have to be primarily for other bad contracts for me. Story and Yoshida for lindor?  Durran in there?  

[Hugh2]

The Mets are notorious for eating money to bring back a return.  I think you can get them to heavily subsidize his contract. 

BTV Accepts Marcelo Mayer and Marcus Phillips for Francisco Lindor with the Mets sending $60 million of his 162million dollar contract.  I believe Lindor is plagued by injury this year and will be better either going down the stretch or from 27-30.  I think he'd easily be worth $20 million a year and he can play next to Franklin Arias the next several years. 

[notin]

2 hours ago, Michigan Adam2 said:

It would have to be primarily for other bad contracts for me. Story and Yoshida for lindor?  Durran in there?  

Probably better off with Story.

Lindor has 5 years left…

[JoeBrady]

44 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

The Mets are notorious for eating money to bring back a return.  I think you can get them to heavily subsidize his contract. 

BTV Accepts Marcelo Mayer and Marcus Phillips for Francisco Lindor with the Mets sending $60 million of his 162million dollar contract.  I believe Lindor is plagued by injury this year and will be better either going down the stretch or from 27-30.  I think he'd easily be worth $20 million a year and he can play next to Franklin Arias the next several years. 

I would do that (on paper), but I'd be surprised if the NYM did it.  He's not a kid, but the recency factor suggests he should be top-tier for a year or two.  If he declines by year 4 & 5, $20-22M is still not that onerous.  IRT Arias, I still think he is a late-2027 player.  And if we still love Arias at SS, Lindor might still have some trade value.

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Probably better off with Story.

Lindor has 5 years left…

Better off with Story? Yeah…..I don’t think so.  Odds are we are paying Story to rehab again next year

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

I would do that (on paper), but I'd be surprised if the NYM did it.  He's not a kid, but the recency factor suggests he should be top-tier for a year or two.  If he declines by year 4 & 5, $20-22M is still not that onerous.  IRT Arias, I still think he is a late-2027 player.  And if we still love Arias at SS, Lindor might still have some trade value.

Arias is knocking on the door now, I think if he’s. It in the majors be early 2027 (if not a September call up this year) something horribly went wrong.

If Arias goes to short I’m sliding Lindor over to 2nd

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Better off with Story? Yeah…..I don’t think so.  Odds are we are paying Story to rehab again next year

At their dollar amounts, I'd prefer Story, but because I like him more.

We know JH, if we take on Lindor's full deal, it means we don't sign a couple or more other key players in the next 5 years.

[JoeBrady]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

At their dollar amounts, I'd prefer Story, but because I like him more.

We know JH, if we take on Lindor's full deal, it means we don't sign a couple or more other key players in the next 5 years.

We aren't taking Lindor's full contract.  And that has nothing to do with JH, and more to do with his accountants.  If you spend $22M on something, that's $22M less you have to spend on something else.  My wife already told me that, if I buy the Rembrandt, I can't have the Caravaggio.

[moonslav59]

Just now, JoeBrady said:

We aren't taking Lindor's full contract.  And that has nothing to do with JH, and more to do with his accountants.  If you spend $22M on something, that's $22M less you have to spend on something else.  My wife already told me that, if I buy the Rembrandt, I can't have the Caravaggio.

I understand most of the talk involving Lindor includes money coming from the NYM and or bad contracts going to the NYM.

That does not change how I place the value on Story and Lindor. It is the starting point to placing value on any trade.

Of course, I'll take Lindor over Story, if the cost is about the same or a little more, but we are talking 5 years vs 1 more (Lindor vs Story and Lindor vs Yoshida) We'd need money and bad contracts going to the NYM to make Lindor's deal affordable.

We have to expect he will decline and he may decline like Story or worse.

I'm not high on this idea, unless we knock the price way down. Someone mentioned $20M x 5. I'm not sure I'd prefer Lindor at $20M x 5 over Story at $25M x 1 w a $5M buyout for 2028. We'd be done with Story and have $20M to spend for 4 more years. That changes the equation.

[notin]

48 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Better off with Story? Yeah…..I don’t think so.  Odds are we are paying Story to rehab again next year

And we might be paying Lindor to do that for 3-5 years…

[notin]

42 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

At their dollar amounts, I'd prefer Story, but because I like him more.

We know JH, if we take on Lindor's full deal, it means we don't sign a couple or more other key players in the next 5 years.

It’s not even the money.

Story’s deal is done after next year.  Lindor would be around steadily aging until 2032.

 

[UtahSox]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Probably better off with Story.

Lindor has 5 years left…

Like you saying full contract for full contract? Which obviously NO ONE would eat all of Lindors deal.
 

Or are you arguing lindor and Story are similar players? 

[Hugh2]

6 minutes ago, notin said:

And we might be paying Lindor to do that for 3-5 years…

A paid down contract….yes.

[Hugh2]

3 minutes ago, UtahSox said:

Like you saying full contract for full contract? Which obviously NO ONE would eat all of Lindors deal.
 

Or are you arguing lindor and Story are similar players? 

Mets are kicking in 50-60 million.  
 

id happily take Ali for for 20 million a year

[Hugh2]

49 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

At their dollar amounts, I'd prefer Story, but because I like him more.

We know JH, if we take on Lindor's full deal, it means we don't sign a couple or more other key players in the next 5 years.

After the Mets pay down his contract tract you’re likely paying Lindor a lot less AAV than Story.

[UtahSox]

2 minutes ago, notin said:

It’s not even the money.

Story’s deal is done after next year.  Lindor would be around steadily aging until 2032.

 

Yeah I disagree with this take. No point in arguing it now…. I am admittedly very high on this team in a playoff series.  I’d rather go for it with this pitching staff in 2026-2027 Even w/out Crochet who is done for year.…. Then we can worry about predicting the 2031 lineup at a later date.

[JoeBrady]

54 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We'd be done with Story and have $20M to spend for 4 more years.

Fair comment.  Let's say you had exactly $20M to spend over the next 4 years.  How would you spend it, and what type of bWAR return would you expect?

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

Mets are kicking in 50-60 million.  
 

id happily take Ali for for 20 million a year

For 5 years? That's almost like Story money, but Story has 1 more year. Lindor turns 33 soon.

I'd want $60M plus they take Story or Yoshida (or both.)

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

After the Mets pay down his contract tract you’re likely paying Lindor a lot less AAV than Story.

Lindor is owed $32M x 5. If the Mets pay $60M, it brings it down to $20M x 5. Yes, that's less than Story's $23.3M AAV for 1 year and one year only.

Maybe $60M plus Story and Bello.

[JoeBrady]

52 minutes ago, notin said:

Lindor would be around steadily aging until 2032.

If we are going to spend $20M on someone, they will be steadily aging as well.  This is the same as any acquisition.  

[mvp 78]

54 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Lindor is owed $32M x 5. If the Mets pay $60M, it brings it down to $20M x 5. Yes, that's less than Story's $23.3M AAV for 1 year and one year only.

Maybe $60M plus Story and Bello.

No way will the Mets trade Lindor PLUS 60M for Story and Bello. That's the Mets eating 80M and hoping Bello becomes a starter again. Crazy.

[moonslav59]

11 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

No way will the Mets trade Lindor PLUS 60M for Story and Bello. That's the Mets eating 80M and hoping Bello becomes a starter again. Crazy.

Equally crazy to add a 33 year old SS at $20M x 5.

[Hugh2]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

For 5 years? That's almost like Story money, but Story has 1 more year. Lindor turns 33 soon.

I'd want $60M plus they take Story or Yoshida (or both.)

Well then the Mets wouldn't get back a prospect, and that's what they're going to want.  They're kicking the money in to get a return.  

BTV Accepts Marcelo Mayer to NY for Lindor and 55 million dollars. 

But if you Lindors contract paid down, them to take Story, and make a deal that appeals to NY desire for prospects then a deal looks like: 

BTV Also Accepts Marcelo Myaer Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon and Trevor Story for Francisco Lindor and 55 million dolalrs. 

 

Id' take the first one. 

[Hugh2]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Equally crazy to add a 33 year old SS at $20M x 5.

If Lindor comes back healthy and is 1/2 as good as he's been he will be worth every dollar

[Hugh2]

43 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

If we are going to spend $20M on someone, they will be steadily aging as well.  This is the same as any acquisition.  

Despite his level of play this year, I think Lindor is going to bounce back and be well worth it, even if he's declining.  He's obviusly playing thru something this year.  This guy was just a 6.3 WAR guy last year. 

And I don't want to see anyone here quote is age if you were for bringing in Ketel Marte this past offseason who is literally 2 days OLDER than Lindor.  Unfortunately I don't remember who that was so we will have to go on the honor system here.  

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

If Lindor comes back healthy and is 1/2 as good as he's been he will be worth every dollar

We said the same about Story, and he was younger when we got him and after his first IL stint. (Story was worth 15fWAR & 20 bWAR over the 4 seasons before we signed him and his first season with us was at age 29!)

Look, I like Lindor. I'd guess he'll be fine for a year or two, okay for another year or two and be seen as underwater for maybe a year or two.

TBH, I'd take him at $20M x 5 and hope he doesn't comeback to haunt us like Story did, but then give up talent for that? I'm not high on Mayer but Mayer for Lindor and $60M seems VERY risky. I'd give Campbell for Lindor and $50M. I'd give Bello for Lindor and $50M.

[notin]

3 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Despite his level of play this year, I think Lindor is going to bounce back and be well worth it, even if he's declining.  He's obviusly playing thru something this year.  This guy was just a 6.3 WAR guy last year. 

And I don't want to see anyone here quote is age if you were for bringing in Ketel Marte this past offseason who is literally 2 days OLDER than Lindor.  Unfortunately I don't remember who that was so we will have to go on the honor system here.  

As (I think) the first to mention Marte, bear in mind:

1. Marte is only signed for something like 4 yrs $74mill after this year, so about half the money for one less season.

2. More of Lindor’s value is tied to his defense, which is his biggest issue so far this year already.