If L.A. gets Lindor, Yanks should be all over Seager

If you ever wondered why Didi Gregorius hasn’t won an All-Star nod or Silver Slugger, blame it on Francisco Lindor. The Indians shortstop takes all the traits that make the Yankees stud beloved in these parts — his power bat from up the middle, his irreproachable defensive reputation, the dramatic and timely hits — then cranks up the volume until the knob falls off. He steals bases, too — 47 since 2018.

Lindor’s the best shortstop in baseball and he’s believed to be on the trade market — Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported Monday the Dodgers will pursue a trade with the Indians for Lindor during the offseason. A Lindor trade could mean the Dodgers’ Corey Seager is on the move himself, and if the rumors are true, the Yankees should be in the mix for Seager.

If nothing else, the rumors make sense. Despite winning seven-consecutive division titles since 2013 and winning 33 more games than any team in MLB over that span, they’ve yet to win the ultimate prize since 1988. Lindor is a difference-maker, one of the few shortstops definitively better than Seager, and an upgrade worth making to get over the hump.

Back to the Bombers, who have a good shortstop in Gregorius. (Actually two, including Gleyber Torres.) Even in a down year limited by offseason elbow surgery, Gregorius still hit on a 31-homer pace over 162 games. But after five seasons in pinstripes, the soon to be 30-year-old will enter free agency for the first time. If the Yankees choose to move on and prefer to keep Torres as their primary second baseman, there could be a Seager-sized hole up the middle.

Seager won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2016, finished third in the MVP race and followed it up with an AllStar campaign. Since then, he’s dealt with significant injuries including Tommy John surgery on his nonthrowing elbow. In his first full season back, the 25-year old still hit 19 homers and drove in 87 runs.

Seager’s plate production was 13% better than the league, per Fangraphs — tenth best among shortstops. (During Gregorius’ star-level 2017-18 run, he was 15% better.) If Seager can replicate what Didi did his last two healthy seasons, that plugs one of the few leaks in the Yankees lineup.

Like Gregorius, Seager’s left-handed stroke helps the Yankees break up their righty-heavy attack, which was clearly important to Boone and the Yankees during the postseason. Stepping into his projected prime, plus added distance from his elbow surgery (he hit .295/ .343/.544 over his last 81 games), could mean the best is yet to come.

Of course, the switch-hitting Lindor — who again, is better than both Seager and

Gregorius — would be the better target. The 93-win Indians haven’t expressed any interest in keeping their stillelite core of players that won the pennant three years ago. So, perhaps the Yankees should pounce on Indians owner Paul Dolan’s preference for his purse?

However, Lindor has a cleaner bill of health and reliably elite production, meaning Cleveland can get more than Seager in any prospect trade, and the Dodgers have top tier prospects like fireballer Dustin May and shortstop Gavin Lux at their disposal. Meanwhile, the Yankees system has thinned out due to high profile promotions and trades in recent years. It would be a bidding war the Yankees can’t win.

There’s also, Lindor’s — who is arbitration-eligible — projected $16.7 million salary next year per MLB Trade Rumors, and the Yankees are expected to try and avoid luxury tax. His salary alone could complicate a presumptive Yankees’ chase for free-agent aces like the Astros’ Gerrit Cole or Dodgers’ Hyun-Jun Ryu. But, Seager is only projected to earn $7.1 million.

The $9.6 million difference in projected arbitration salary could be enough to fill the need at short while appeasing the invisible payroll deities the Bombers have worshipped and proselytized through most of the decade — coincidentally, the same stretch of time they’ve also failed to win a championship. But far be it from anyone to question a sincerely-held religious belief.

Assuming the Yankees’ self-imposed constraints in their quest for No. 28, adding Seager’s youth, price and upside seems like a valuable addition. He could help the Yankees run their own race, and finish it.