Should the New York Yankees make this trade for Francisco Lindor? 

It is always interesting to see what type of trade proposals are formulated during the off-season. MLB Network presented several that include the Yankees and star infielder Francisco Lindor.

If the Yankees are serious about acquiring the star shortstop, they’re going to have to give up a package of players, including prospects and starting level talent. Even though Lindor only has one year of control left on his contract before hitting free agency, the Cleveland Indians are sellers since they don’t want to hand out that much cash.

Of course, that connects the Yankees, who are always willing to pay great players over the long term deals, see Giancarlo Stanton.

MLB Network presented this trade proposal for Lindor:

Yankees Send:

-Clint Frazier

-Miguel Andujar

-Luis Gil

-Albert Abreu

Indians Send: Francisco Lindor

At face value, the deal heavily favors the Indians, in my opinion. The Yankees are forced to give away two starting level players and two rising prospects for one All-Star shortstop.

Of course, the value in return is massive with Lindor, but Frazier and Andujar are making extremely little ($1.22 million combined in 2020) and are capable of starting at multiple positions. While Andujar has a major problem with his defense, he has a fantastic bat and, with consistent reps, is a serious threat in any lineup.

Frazier showed he could be an everyday starter in 2020, finishing with a .267 average, eight homers, 26 RBIs, and a 15.6% walk rate. Frazier was a Gold Glove finalist in the outfield after being benched in 2019 for defensive inadequacies.

The Yankees have talented prospects:

Then you move onto the prospects, as Luis Gil, a Dominican Republic native, is a starting pitching option for the future. In 2019, he posted a 2.72 ERA with 29 earned runs allowed and 123 strikeouts with two minor-league teams, Tampa and Charleston. He has a bright future ahead of him, and the Yankees might not feel comfortable letting him go either, making this deal tumultuous right off the bat.

As for Abreu, he is another pitcher the Yankees have high hopes for. At 25 years old, Abreu finished his 2019 campaign with Trenton, earning a 4.28 ERA with 46 runs allowed and 91 strikeouts. While he didn’t fare too well in Florida, there’s still hope he can amount to something serviceable for the Yanks.

Overall, I think the Yankees would be giving up too much talent for Lindor, as Frazier significantly pushes it over the edge.

Considering what Frazier showed in 2020, I believe he is starting option for the Yankees in left field, and his bat makes him even more valuable. Consistent reps and growing confidence will only help his game.

In addition, he is such a cheap starting player, and the Yankees are trying to keep their luxury tax threshold below $210 million, so he is extremely beneficial to their cause.