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The New York Mets have pulled off a blockbuster for Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Jeff Passan of ESPN initially reported the Mets were in “deep” talks to acquire Lindor, with shortstop prospect Andres Gimenez part of the package going back to the Indians.
The New York Mets are deep into talks on a deal to acquire Francisco Lindor from the Cleveland Indians, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 7, 2021
If the Francisco Lindor-to-the-Mets deal is completed as expected, shortstop Andres Gimenez would be part of the package going back to the Cleveland Indians, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 7, 2021
However, this could be an even bigger deal than anticipated. The Mets are acquiring right-hander Carlos Carrasco from the Indians as part of the swap, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. New York's 2019 second-round pick Josh Wolf is another piece going back to Cleveland, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported both sides have agreed to the deal, in principal.
UPDATE: The official Mets Twitter tweeted out the trade. It's official.
Welcome to New York! 🍎
We’ve acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. #LGMhttps://t.co/Bc0fICHUKn
— New York Mets (@Mets) January 7, 2021
This is an enormous get for the Mets. New York had been one of the teams rumored to be in the market for Lindor, and they have also managed to get an elite-level starter in Carrasco.
The trade has massive ramifications on the rest of the market and the course of the offseason. The Mets had been one of the teams said to be in on Trevor Bauer, though the addition of Carrasco might mitigate interest in signing Bauer to what be a record deal.
Meanwhile, other teams reportedly interested in Francisco Lindor–notably the Toronto Blue Jays–might now go harder after free-agent infielders like DJ LeMahieu or Justin Turner.
Then, of course, there is Lindor.
The switch-hitting shortstop will be a free agent after the 2021 season. But the Mets, armed with the deep pockets of billionaire owner Steve Cohen, are well equipped to sign the All-Star to a massive extension.
The 2020-21 MLB offseason has moved at a glacial pace. But the Mets and Indians provided quite a bit of excitement with this blockbuster swap.
