MLB Rumors: Francisco Lindor May Move Out Of Tribe To Be With Contender

KEY POINTS

Lindor has yet to get a new deal with Indians
Lindor wants to stay in Cleveland if they invest to be competitive
Several MLB teams are interested in the Puerto Rican shortstop

Unless the Cleveland Indians can pull off something, it appears shortstop Francisco Lindor is headed out the door. The Puerto Rican has yet to receive a contract offer, but he says he is in no rush to get one.

With the Indians limiting their payroll over the last 15 months. "Paquito" is likely to get lucrative offers, something Cleveland may not be too comfortable with. As of this writing, Edwin Encarnacion remains as the only player to own a Cleveland Indians contract. He holds a three-year $60 million deal that he signed during the 2016-17 MLB season.

Lindor recently spoke with MLB.com and said that he has yet to be offered a contract by the Indians. He has yet to get a multi-year contract extension. However, he says that it is not a pressing concern and is in no rush. Apparently he is aware that he is still two years away from the open market. But he did make it clear that he prefers to stay in Cleveland, the only team he has played for since 2015.

“If they don’t think I can stay here because of the money situation, then I won’t be here. But I do want to be in Cleveland,” Lindor said to reporters via Cleveland.com.

However, Lindor did add something interesting to that extent. Although he loves being in the tribe, he is not that pleased when it comes to Cleveland keeping one eye on the budget rather than focus on being competitive.

"It has nothing to do with the money. It has nothing to do with the years. It has nothing to do with who I like or who I don’t like. It has to do with championships. The front office tries to put a team together to win, not to save money. They’re supposed to try to put a team together to win. I’m here to try to win,” he said.

Several teams have expressed interest in the four-time MLB All-Star. The list includes the Reds, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Padres. Unfortunately, Cleveland is not interested in dealing away "Mr. Smile" for now. Though nothing may materialize in the offseason, the plot may change by the trade deadline. It all depends on whether Cleveland status by that time.