The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lindor: ‘There’s money out there’
Shortstop says he would love to stay with Indians long-term
If you are curious about how much money it would cost the Indians to re-sign All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to a long-term contract, start with this:
“If you had a player to start a franchise, who would it be?” Lindor said Feb. 1 during Tribe Fest at the Cleveland Convention Center. “If you had five players to start a franchise, you’re not going to pay them $100 million a year.
“There’s money out there. Our (Indians) payroll last year was $125 million. There are no teams out there with a $10 million payroll. No team is bankrupt.”
Lindor made it clear he believes he is one of those five players a team would want to build its franchise around, and he says if he gets what he is seeking — he won’t say how much — he would “love” to stay with the Indians.
Lindor will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season if he doesn’t sign a new contract before then. Because of that, his name has come up repeatedly in trade rumors, but position players report to Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 16 for spring training and so far Lindor, 26, is still an Indian.
“He’s a really good player,” catcher Roberto Perez said at Tribe Fest. “He’s the face of the Indians. He’s a hard worker. He’s a great teammate. I can go on and on. He’s one of the best players in baseball. If it was me, I’d sign him right now.”
Lindor sent mixed signals during the 12-minute group interview about his future plans.
Early during the group session he was asked why he hasn’t signed a long-term deal with the Indians.
“Because they haven’t offered me the right thing,” he said. “I would love to be in Cleveland. This is home. This is a great city with great fans. We have a good team. The front office is good. The coaching staff is good.
“Everybody involved in the Indians organization is great and I love it here. This is where I came up. I’m extremely comfortable here. Make sure you write ‘I would love to be in Cleveland.’ “
Lindor is not interested in signing a short-term contract to push free agency back a year or two. “We want to make sure we get paid for a long time,” he said. “Do I feel like when I’m 37 I’ll be down with my playing level? No, I don’t think so. I don’t think my production level will be down when I’m 37.”
Lindor debuted with the Indians on June 14, 2015. He has been an All-Star each of the last four years. He has hit 130 home runs, driven in 384 runs and scored 478 runs while playing in 717 games.
Lindor made $623,200 in 2018. He made $10.55 million in 2019 in the first year he was eligible for arbitration. He will make $17.5 million in 2020. Third baseman Anthony Rendon, a hero in the Washington Nationals winning the 2019 World Series, signed a sevenyear contract with the Angels for $245 million. Last year, third baseman Manny Machado signed a 10-year $300 million deal with the Padres. Outfielder Bryce Harper left the Nationals for a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019.
Lindor said he is not out to sign the largest deal in baseball history. Eight minutes after saying the Indians “haven’t offered me the right thing,” Lindor said:
“This is not a thing about pride or money. Just as a team would not want to pay $60 million (a year) for a player, no player wants to play for the minimum.
“I’m not money driven. I’m championship driven. That’s what I want. Wherever I go, I want to win. I want to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland. That’s my mission. I’m here, today, and I want to win for the Indians. It has nothing to do with the money. It has nothing to do with years. It has to do with championships. The front office is supposed to put a team together to win — not to save money.”
The Indians last won a World Series in 1948. They lost the World Series to the Braves in 1995, the Marlins in 1997 and the Cubs in 2016.