Indians: Trading Francisco Lindor to the Mets without Pete Alonso is foolish

The Indians are reportedly hoping the Mets want Francisco Lindor in part due to the Mets’ rich farm system but no trade should happen without Pete Alonso.

The Cleveland Indians want the New Yor Mets apart of the Francisco Lindor trade deal. Which makes sense, as the Mets seem likely to pay a king’s ransom to get Lindor. The Mets, are in a different headspace than the other 29-other teams. They don’t have a real, healthy franchise star and the new ownership is coming in ready to spend. Not that spending has ever been an issue for the Mets (Hey Bobby Bonilla). So if the Mets really want Lindor, beyond the top prospects, Pete Alonso better be part of the deal.

Alonso may seem untouchable to some, considering he’s one of the better power hitters in baseball, but any deal involving Lindor needs to feature at least one high-caliber player coming back to the Indians. By all accounts, Lindor is a “better” player than Alonso, so that should work out just fine in convincing the Mets to part ways with their first basemen. He’d be the perfect fit in Cleveland, as he’s a damn fine fielding first basemen.

If the Indians acquired him and brought back Carlos Santana on a way-reduced contract, you could have Santana continue DH’ing for the Indians while Alonso playing first base.

Ideally, the trade would be Lindor for Alonso, CF Brandon Nimmo, SS Andres Gimenez, one AAA or AA prospect, and one high-A prospect. It may seem like a lot but a move like that, in conjunction with The Mets landing George Springer, would make the Mets fan base gush with excitement. The Mets could very well be a big free agent distention now, especially if they land and pay Lindor.

With the fact you’re landing Lindor and changing around your franchise’s expectations, parting ways with Alonso seems like an acceptable loss. It’s a win-win for both clubs.