Cleveland Indians fans are going to have a tough time seeing Francisco Lindor in a New York Mets jersey this season.
It just feels weird.
Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario are now competing for the starting shortstop job after both came over from the Mets in the trade.
But the move was not about getting better in the short-term.
It was about saving money.
There is still the possibility that the Indians do just fine without Lindor and either Gimenez or Rosario fill in without a major drop in production.
However, several reasons stand out as to why the Indians will likely miss Lindor in 2021.
Francisco Lindor's first hit as a Met is a comebacker that Luis AvÃlan couldn't quite glove. Official ruling is a single. Lindor had been 0-for-7 to open the spring.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 8, 2021
3. Perennial All-Star Talent
Lindor is one of the stars of the entire league.
So replacing that talent is nearly impossible.
The shortstop made the All-Star Game every year from 2016-2019 and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves in that span as well.
Lindor also posted a 28.7 WAR in only six seasons.
He is someone who is not only an annual lock to make the All-Star Game, but a player who is in the MVP conversation every single year.
Sending that talent out of town takes away the excitement for fans of watching one of the best in the game play for your favorite team.
The front office will now hope someone else on the roster can step up and provide All-Star-caliber play alongside Jose Ramirez in the lineup.
2. His Star Power
Lindor put the Indians on the map.
MLB is a league notoriously bad at marketing its stars, but Lindor was still getting plenty of attention for the team.
Having Ramirez and Shane Bieber on the roster still provides some star power.
But neither is close to Lindor in terms of popularity.
For now, the Indians will go back to being a small market team that looks to maximize the potential on the roster without spending much money.
1. Questions at a Formerly Secure Position
Shortstop was one of the few positions on the roster where there were zero question marks.
Now there is a competition in 2021 and the Indians have several players to choose from as the shortstop of the future.
Gimenez and Rosario are the two individuals fighting for the job in 2021.
But there is also Gabriel Arias, who came over in last year’s Mike Clevinger trade.
#Indians INF Gabriel Arias added a 2-run double, Cleveland leads #Mariners 10-0 in 8th.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) March 8, 2021
Having options is nice, however, this is a major difference from the security that was at the position with Lindor.
Indians fans have seen this same process play out before and the front office does have a good track record of restocking the team.
Lindor was just different because of his true superstar status.
Winning can solve all and the Indians will try to do that as a new era begins for the team in 2021.
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