5 teams that need to make a big trade offer for Francisco Lindor

2. New York Yankees

The big focus for the Yankees this winter is on adding an ace to complete their starting rotation. Gerrit Cole will be their primary target, but he is believed to prefer the West Coast, where his hometown Los Angeles Angels have a gaping hole at the top of their rotation. The Yankees can offer Cole more money than anyone, which might be what it takes to convince him to remain on the East Coast.

Adding a starting pitcher to carry the rotation is an obvious need for the Yankees, but they will also be seeking a replacement for shortstop Didi Gregorius. The 29-year-old developed into one of the better offensive options at his position, but his approach at the plate lacks discipline and he is prone to injury. The Yankees will likely look to move on unless Gregorius is willing to return at a steep discount.

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has been one of the shrewdest navigators of the trade market over the last five years, so expect him to have the Yankees right in the thick of the hunt for Lindor.

Cashman has held onto most of his top prospects at the last few trade deadlines, so the Yankees do have some pieces to offer the Indians. The Yankees don’t have the deepest farm system, but they do have young, MLB-ready hitters like Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier.

An infield made up of Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Francisco Lindor would easily give the Yankees the best group in the league. A trade for the All-Star shortstop would allow Torres to make a permanent transition to third base and focus on continuing to bulk up without sacrificing the type of range needed to play shortstop.