First,  Lindor has ended extension talks with Cleveland.  I would imagine this sets him up for a July move (hopefully not to the Yankees).

 

Second, the Yankees are all the way down to 22 with their farm system.  Hopefully, that means not enough bullets to acquire someone like Lindor at the deadline.  On the flip-side, the Twins are ranked 7th and team with the Rays (1), Dodgers (3) and Braves (8) as teams who are winning and have top 10 farm systems.

If the Indians are still in the playoff picture in any way I don't see him being moved this July.  They could still trade him in the next offseason or extend him beyond 2021. Since they don't have any real dead weight contracts, they could still work out a deal.

 

This doesn't really mean anything unless they fall out of the playoff picture entirely by July.

 

The Yankees have a decent farm system, they are just young.  Their top prospect (already 54th) will probably be one of the top prospects in a year or 2 since he is only 17. Plus no team really has the flexibility that the yankees do, they could include one of Urshela, or Torres and give the Indians a cheap replacement that isn't that steep of a drop off in talent.

 

If the Indians are still in the playoff picture in any way I don't see him being moved this July.  They could still trade him in the next offseason or extend him beyond 2021. Since they don't have any real dead weight contracts, they could still work out a deal.

 

This doesn't really mean anything unless they fall out of the playoff picture entirely by July.

 

The Yankees have a decent farm system, they are just young.  Their top prospect (already 54th) will probably be one of the top prospects in a year or 2 since he is only 17. Plus no team really has the flexibility that the yankees do, they could include one of Urshela, or Torres and give the Indians a cheap replacement that isn't that steep of a drop off in talent.

 

Good point of view from another angle.

 

I don't see the Yankees moving Torres.  It would be ironic for the Indians to give up Lindor with Urshela being the big piece coming back.  Of course, the Yankees may not be able to move either, if they can't keep the rest of the team healthy.

I know the Yankees have all kinds of resources, but I have to wonder if they're really open to handing out another $300M+ contract (which is reportedly what Lindor wants).  True, they clear Ellsbury's $26M next year, but that still leaves them in the luxury tax BEFORE they hand out arbitration raises to Judge, Sanchez, Voit, Urshela, Andujar, Torres, German and everyone in their bullpen not named Chapman, Ottavino, or Britton.  While they also clear the money from LeMahieu, Tanaka, and Paxton, all of whom are free agents after this year, those are 3 players they need to replace.  While a trade for Lindor probably has to include at least a couple of their infielders, thus reducing that hit, the Yankees would still be looking at a $300M+ payroll for sure when you take into account luxury tax, and possibly approaching $400M.