The New York Mets acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor and righthanded Carlos Carrasco in a mega deal with the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians will welcome shortstop Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, and two potential minor league candidates, right-handed Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene, into the trade.
The trademark is the Mets’ first big step since owner Steve Cohen finalized the purchase of the franchise last year. Cohen bought the Wilpon and Katz families from the Mets on Nov. 6 and pledged to increase spending.
The Indians will also save a significant portion of their wages by 2021 by separating from Lindor ($ 19.5 million) and Carrasco ($ 12 million).
Since making his MLB debut in 2015, Lindor has been ranked first of all shortstops in WAR (28.4), home runs (138) and extra-base runs, according to research from ESPN Data.
He also is second in RBIs (411) and runs (508), and fifth in OPS (.835) and slugging (.485), hitting .285. At the age of 27, Lindor has earned four All-Star Game nominations, two gold gloves and two silver bats, along with an appearance in the World Series in 2016 and a second place in the AL Rookie of the Year ballot in 2015.
As the Indians’ 2020 season, cut short by the pandemic, ended with a loss to the New York Yankees in the wildcard round, the question became when and not if Lindor would be traded.
Cleveland was out of options. Lindor turned down numerous long-term offers from Indians with little money, gambled on himself, and knew he could get more money from a large market team if he becomes a free agent.
He’s only under contract through the 2021 season, so the Mets will need to get to work quickly to secure him in the long run.
The Indians announced that Lindor was available for the right price. And while it’s never easy to trade a generational talent with perhaps the best of years ahead, Cleveland’s financial situation would never allow it to last.
Cohen hopes to change a franchise that hasn’t won a World Series since 1986.
Cohen hired general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and brought back former general manager Sandy Alderson as team president and hired Jared Porter of Arizona as general manager under Alderson.
As they increased their spending, the Mets stayed with pitcher Marcus Stroman for $ 18.9 million in a qualifying offer, righthanded Trevor May signed for $ 15.5 million in a two-year deal and catcher James McCann, on a four-year deal of $ 40. 6. millions of dollars. New York also signed injured right-handed Noah Syndergaard for $ 9.7 million for a year.
Carrasco, 33, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 and returned that same season to become the American League Comeback of the Year. He was seventh in the American League with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts last season and sixth with 82 strikeouts in 68.0 innings.
Carrasco is 88-73 with a 3.77 ERA and 1,305 strikeouts in 242 games during his 11-year career with Cleveland.
Rosario, 25, hit .268 with 32 home runs and 148 RBI’s in 403 games with the Mets between 2017 and 2020.
Gimenez, 22, hit .263 with three home runs and 12 RBI’s in 49 games last year.
This report uses information from The Associated Press.