Not even putting a hundred G’s on the table was enough for the Cleveland Indians to lock up one of baseball’s brightest young shortstops long-term.
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reports on Friday that the Indians attempted to extend Francisco Lindor’s contract before Opening Day with an offer of about $100 million but were turned down by the 23-year-old.
News that the Indians were working on a preseason extension offer for Lindor was leaked by an unlikely source, but it makes sense why they did so. The Puerto Rican batted .301/.358/.435 with 15 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in just his second MLB season last year, while also making his first All-Star team and winning his first Gold Glove Award.
Lindor doesn’t even become eligible for arbitration until after the 2018 season, so that kind of extension being offered and declined at this stage of his career all but ensures that Lindor will shatter the market if/when he finally does agree to one with the Indians.
