CLEVELAND — As baseball's winter hot stove has begun to heat up, a common narrative has seemed to emerge regarding the Cleveland Indians' handling of All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor: if the two sides aren't going to come to an agreement on an extension -- and all indications are they won't -- then the Tribe would be best suited trading him no later than the upcoming season's trade deadline.
That belief has led to natural speculation that the Indians could look to trade Lindor as soon as this winter. But according to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, if Cleveland is going to trade its franchise player, it would prefer to do so after the 2020 campaign.
Heyman's report contradicts what many around baseball have been saying in recent weeks regarding Lindor's future with the team. Just last week, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that multiple executives believe that it's not a matter of if, but when Cleveland will trade its 2-time Silver Slugger this season.
That, however, doesn't mean the Indians are in a rush to do so and their ability to wait until the trade deadline -- if not later -- provides them with some leverage. Depending on how long Cleveland waits though, that leverage could prove fleeting as Lindor's trade value will theoretically diminish the closer he gets to free agency in 2021.
Only that appears to be a conversation for the future -- and if Heyman's report is to be believed, even further in the future than initially thought. For now, it appears the Indians will do their due diligence and listen to offers on Lindor -- and Corey Kluber -- but it will take a haul, and perhaps then some, for them to even consider making a blockbuster trade before the start of the 2020 season.