Indians Team President Antonetti on Talks with SS Lindor About a Deal: "Weren’t Able to Align at This Point"

The Indians have been vocal about wanting to keep All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor on their roster past 2021, but talks stopped a few days ago and it appears that keeping him around is going to be next to impossible for the small market franchise.

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor announced on Monday that he was ending any talks that he and the Tribe were having about a contract extension that would keep him with the team past 2021.

It’s nothing new for Lindor to halt talks this time of the year, as it has been documented that usually it’s around this time that Lindor tells his agent, David Meter, to end any talks about a new deal.

This time around It is a little different, as the Indians know that if they can’t get something done with Lindor soon, they will likely have to move him just to avoid the public relations nightmare of having a franchise player walk away and getting no return.

It happened in Washington with the Nationals last year, but of course despite losing Bryce Harper to Philadelphia they were able to do enough to surprise everyone and win a World Series.

That would be the best case for the Indians if they did lose Lindor in free agency, but that seems a lot easier said than done based on where he plays on the field and just the presence that he makes in the team’s clubhouse.

Wednesday Indians team president Chris Antonetti faced the media in Goodyear prior to the announced rain out between the Tribe and Royals, and all questions had to do with Lindor and his future and the team’s efforts to try and come up with a plan to keep him.

“We spent quite a bit of time together over the course of the last few months to try to find a way to see if we could make something work,” Antonetti said.

“That was a sincere and earnest effort by both Francisco and his representative, David Meter, as well as our ownership.

“I think we had a series of great exchanges, and tried different creative concepts to make things work, but ultimately weren’t able to align at this point.

“We talked with Francisco and David about just focusing on the season at this point, and then revisiting things down the road.”

The term ‘down the road’ may never come with Lindor, as the Indians may find themselves in a position in July where a deal comes the team simply can’t turn down.

There is already so much disdain for owner Paul Dolan and the team when it comes to payroll and not spending money, one has to wonder how much worse it can get if the team does move Lindor for prospects and maybe one current Major League starter.

Antonetti did say that he remains optimistic that another discussion with Meter surrounding Lindor can be had, and that he’s hopeful it can lead to a new deal.

“I think the dialogue was really helpful. I think we shared from the beginning that we had a sincere interest in trying to find a way to extend Francisco’s time in Cleveland,” Antonetti said.

“He was really consistent in his interest in trying to make that happen as well. Ultimately, we couldn’t get to the finish line.

“We couldn’t overlap on value, but it wasn’t because of a lack of effort. And we are greatly appreciative of the time and energy they spent trying to find that common ground.

"I know I’m sincerely appreciative of the effort and time and resources that our ownership was willing to extend to make that happen as well.”

Seeing teams like the Nationals lose Harper and the Baltimore Orioles lose a player like Manny Machado who inked a 10-year, $300 million dollar contract with the San Diego Padres, is not only hurtful to the teams that lose those players, but it’s tough for the game as well.

There is some fear that eventually, if it hasn’t happened already, that small to mid-market teams like the Indians are nothing more than farm systems for other teams in baseball that have the resources to have payrolls north of $200 million.

Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and of course, the New York Yankees, always seem to have payrolls that crush others around baseball.

It’s no wonder that when it comes to a player like Lindor, he’s likely looking forward to free agency so he can cash in as well and land a deal with a team that will pay him possibly in the range of $300 to $400 million.

Antonetti discussed the very notion that keeping a Lindor with the team past a round of free agency is not an easy thing to do if the rest of the organization is going to stay competitive.

“It’s really hard. I think that’s the fundamental challenge we have. As I shared earlier, any team can afford one player individually. The question is, can you afford an individual and still build a championship team around him?” Antonetti said.

“That’s ultimately the problem we’re trying to solve. It’s really difficult in baseball’s economic system for teams in smaller markets to be able to do that and be able to retain players of Francisco’s caliber.

“Doesn’t mean we’re going to give up trying. Francisco’s not going to give up trying and we’re not going to give up trying, but it’s really hard to make that math work.”

For now that math can be set aside as talks about a new deal have stopped. While the team is hopeful they start up again with good results, it wouldn’t be a shock if they never do based on what it appears Lindor wants, and what the Indians can offer.