MLB Hot Stove Rumors Heat Up In Advance of Winter Meetings

On Tuesday, the MLB Hot Stove rumors heated up in a huge way. There was a ton of things that were bantered about by various sources. I want to do my best to recap them here with a little reaction.

Francisco Lindor

Via WKYC.com, Jeff Passan says that Francisco Lindor is going to be dealt. Therefore, I am telling my friends who are Indians fans to hitch their wagons to the Oscar Mercado train. Indeed, I believe he is the next star to semi-star for the Tribe. Here’s what Passan says.

“Lindor, multiple executives said, ‘is going to get traded,'” Passan wrote. “They’re not sure if it’s this winter or this summer, but considering how disciplined the Indians are, they want to maximize Lindor’s value, and doing so means trading him before the July 31 deadline.”

Obviously this is frustrating to see if you’re an Indians fan, or a baseball fan in general. Without a doubt, the Indians have the money to re-sign Lindor and make him the franchise face if they want to. However, it seems like they would rather just pocket the money and get some prospects who could maybe one day become Lindor. In my opinion, doing business this way is bad for the game.

Gerrit Cole

The Yankees are ‘all-in’ on Cole. This Jon Heyman tweet is worth remembering.

Imagine the Yankees adding Cole to their rotation. Still, it’s interesting they’re concerned with the Dodgers in this game as a player. I think that the Anaheim Angels are the team that lands him in the end. Tomorrow, Stephen Strasburg meets with the Bombers says Heyman.

Chicago Cubs Are Motivated To Make a Deal

This report also comes from Jeff Passan. A busy man these days, Passan notes that catcher Willson Contreras, third baseman Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Kyle Schwarber and outfielder Albert Almora Jr. could all be trade candidates.

However, the Cubs are not looking to deal Javier Baez who is working on an extension with the club.

Nolan Arenado Drawing Serious Trade Interest

The Colorado Rockies’ cornerstone Nolan Arenado is drawing serious attention in the trade market, according to Passan. ESPN’s Passan says that “multiple teams” have called the Rockies to express interest in Arenado, but the talks “went nowhere.”

Remember, the Rockies signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million contract last year. However, he has an opt-out clause after the 2021 season, making it possible the Rockies could lose him to free agency.

Finally, the winter meetings kick off Sunday night in San Diego. We will have a lot of updates during that week which is the Super Bowl of the off-season in baseball. A true feeding frenzy.