The New York Mets have acquired star shortstop Francisco Lindor and righthanded pitcher Carlos Carrasco in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Indians.
In return, Cleveland received shortstops Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez and two potential minor league candidates: righthanded Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Greene.
The trade marks the Mets’ first major step since owner Steve Cohen finalized his purchase of the franchise last year.
The Indians will also save a significant 2021 payroll by parting ways with Lindor ($ 19.5 million) and Carrasco ($ 12 million).
Since his MLB debut in 2015, Lindor has been ranked first of all shortstops in WAR (28.4), home runs (138) and extra-base hits, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
He is also second in RBIs (411) and running (508), and fifth in OPS (.835) and slugging (.485), hitting .285. At the age of 27, Lindor has earned four All-Star points, two gold gloves and two silver sluggers for a World Series appearance in 2016 and runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year ballot in 2015.
Carrasco, 33, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019 and returned that same season to become the AL Comeback Player of the Year. He was seventh in the AL with a 2.91 ERA over 12 starts last season and was 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 homers and 148 RBI’s in 403 games with the Mets from 2017 to ’20.
Gimenez, 22, hit .263 with three homers and 12 RBI’s in 49 games last year.