CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from Nov. 5, 2020.
According to multiple reports, it's not a matter of "if" but rather "when" the Cleveland Indians will trade Francisco Lindor.
But if -- or rather when -- the Indians do trade their All-Star shortstop, he may not be leaving the Buckeye State.
According to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi, the Cincinnati Reds are prioritizing the addition of a starting shortstop this offseason. And while it appears the Reds will have several options to target, none of them are more high profile than the 4-time All-Star Lindor.
"Sources: #Reds are prioritizing the addition of one starting shortstop and are pursuing multiple options to address that need: Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story in trade; Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, and Didi Gregorius via free agency," Morosi tweeted on Monday morning.
As for what Cincinnati would be willing to give up to acquire Lindor, that remains unclear. According to MLB.com, the Reds lay claim to the No. 4 farm system in Major League Baseball and three top 100 prospects.
While it may be difficult for Cleveland to receive full value in return for Lindor as he only has one year remaining on his contract, the more teams that enter the sweepstakes for the 2-time Gold Glove Award winner, the better. In addition to the Reds, the New York Mets, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals have been viewed as the strongest contenders for Lindor.
Appearing in all 60 regular-season games of the Indians' shortened 2020 campaign, Lindor hit for a .285 batting average (.833 OPS), 8 home runs and 27 RBIs. Prior to 2020, the 27-year-old Lindor had earned All-Star honors in each of his four full seasons in Cleveland.