Mets acquire Lindor, Carrasco in trade

NEW YORK (UPI) — The Cleveland Indians traded four-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets, the teams announced Thursday.

The cash-strapped Indians sent Lindor and Carrasco to the Mets in exchange for infielders Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, right-handed pitcher Josh Wolf and outfielder Isaiah Green.

“These are people we care about, not just players, and guys that loved the organization and have great memories here,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told reporters Thursday. “Trades like this are really tough. But it’s the right thing to do.”

The 27-year-old Lindor was drafted in 2011 and quickly became the face of the Indians franchise. In 777 career games in Cleveland, he recorded a .285 batting average with 138 home runs, 411 RBIs, and 99 stolen bases.

Lindor, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2021 season, also was a two-time Gold Glove Award winner and won the Silver Slugger Award twice.

“We acquired Francisco because of his present ability and the possibility that he could be a Met long term. There’s no guarantee of that. It’s something we will approach in the next few weeks,” Mets president Sandy Alderson told reporters Thursday. “At this point, we felt comfortable giving up the group of players we did for both Lindor and Carrasco.

“… We gave up a lot of control for short-term control, but I think we’re comfortable with that and what we might be able to do going forward.”

The 33-year-old Carrasco, who overcame leukemia in 2019, has an 88-73 career record with a 3.73 ERA. He went 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts last season.

Reporting by Connor Grott

United Press International

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