Indians: 3 potential replacements if they trade Francisco Lindor

Didi’s one-year “prove it” deal was a bit inconclusive. While he did show that his elite offensive production was not just a product of Yankee Stadium’s inviting right-field porch given his .284 average and 10 home runs, the small sample size and tendency to potentially write off his production as the product of a truncated season could prevent him from getting the huge contract he is looking for. He might find a suitor in Cleveland, however, as he could be the best option on the market to help replace Lindor due to his ability to make key stops in the field and put one in the seats.

Yes, the Indians are trading Lindor with the intention of saving money. However, “saving money” in this context means not paying Lindor a Mookie Betts-esque mega deal, and getting Gregorius a less-expensive sum that still locks him in for the next few seasons could be a nice bit of business. The Indians have lost some ground to the White Sox and Twins, but the Indians could return to the postseason if they bring in.