- Mets among 2021 World Series favorites after acquiring Lindor, Carrasco from Indians
- New York expected to sign Lindor to an extension
- Indians’ World Series odds dip to +3500
The Major League Baseball offseason has been a slow burn, but perhaps the hot stove is finally starting to heat up. Spring training officially gets underway in a little over a month, yet the vast majority of big-name free agents are still unemployed.
While the free-agent market has been slow to develop, a number of star players have switched teams via trade over the past week or so. On Thursday, the New York Mets became the latest team to add an All-Star. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mets have acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor and right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco in a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Indians.
Shortly after Passan broke the news, both teams officially confirmed the trade via social media.
Welcome to New York! 🍎
We’ve acquired Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. #LGMhttps://t.co/Bc0fICHUKn
— New York Mets (@Mets) January 7, 2021
In return, Cleveland nabbed infielders Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez as well as minor league prospects Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene. This is the first major move the Mets have made since the team was purchased late last year by Steve Cohen, who pledged to spend the money required to help turn the team into a legitimate contender.
This move shows that Cohen is serious about righting the ship in New York. The Mets added about $30 million in 2021 payroll with the acquisitions of Lindor ($19.5 million) and Carrasco ($12 million).
Indians Finally Move Lindor
The Indians have long been rumored to be interested in finding a trade partner willing to take Lindor. The 27-year-old is one of the best shortstops in all of baseball, but Cleveland reportedly couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension that satisfied both sides.
Lindor became a star shortly after his promotion to the big leagues back in 2015. Since then, he leads all MLB shortstops in WAR (28.4) and home runs (138). He led the Tribe to the brink of a World Series title in 2016, but the team blew a 3-1 series lead in the Fall Classic to lose to the Chicago Cubs.
Lindor is a four-time American League All-Star with a pair of Gold Glove Awards on his mantle. He also finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 behind Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.
While Lindor is the biggest name in the trade, the Mets also adding Carrasco is a huge boon to the starting rotation. The 33-year-old battled his way back from a leukemia diagnosis in 2019 to enjoy one of the best seasons of his career in 2020. Carrasco went 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA across 12 regular-season starts for Cleveland while ranking sixth in the AL with 82 strikeouts. His efforts earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors, as well.
Carrasco will slide in behind Jacob deGrom at the top of the Mets’ pitching rotation, which also features Steven Matz, Marcus Stroman, and Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he is expected to be back in the mix in 2021.
Mets Among Title Favorites
The Mets finished a disappointing fourth place in the NL East with a 26-34 record last season, but there is plenty of reason for optimism moving forward. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported shortly after the deal came down that the Mets are expected to offer Lindor a lucrative contract extension before the beginning of next season.
New York is also expected to be in the running for free-agent outfielder George Springer, who is believed to be the best position player left on the market. The 30-year-old is expected to leave Houston after failing to come to terms on a new contract before the end of last season.
The Mets’ odds to win the 2021 World Series have improved to +1200 in light of the deal. That gives New York the sixth-best odds of any team behind the Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, Braves, and White Sox. The Mets’ odds to win the NL pennant have also risen to +600.
The move signals that Cleveland may be headed for a rebuild following several years of contention. The departures of Lindor, Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber, and Carlos Santana over the past few years mean there are very few faces still on the roster that were also a part of the 2016 World Series runners-up.
As was the case with the Red Sox’ decision to trade Mookie Betts to the Dodgers prior to last season, the Indians have decided to prioritize financial flexibility over winning games in the near future.
The Indians’ odds to win next season’s championship have plummeted to +3500.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
