Dodgers: Revisiting 3 rumors from the offseason that never came true

Rumor: Dodgers to explore trade for Francisco Lindor

It wasn’t even the end of October when the Hot Stove reached a fever temperature, as Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com reported the Dodgers were expected to pursue a trade for Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. According to the report, the Dodgers would look to move incumbent shortstop Corey Seager in a separate deal, if they were able to land Lindor.

After a disappointing postseason, this rumor sent a message to Dodgers fans that the team was ready to explore drastic measures in shaping the roster for a championship run in 2020.

Lindor, who is entering the final season of his team-controlled years in 2020, has been elected to the All-Star game in four of his five seasons in the big leagues. Since 2015, he has accumulated the 7th highest fWAR of positional players. Meanwhile, Seager, who is also entering his final year before free agency, hasn’t quite looked the same since missing the majority of the 2018 season from Tommy John surgery.

Ken Rosenthal reported in late January that a three-team trade between the Dodgers, Reds, and Indians was discussed that would have sent Seager to Cincinnati, Lindor to Los Angeles, and prospects to the Indians. Obviously, that deal never moved past talks. Lindor is still in Cleveland, seemingly hopeful that a long-term deal with the club could be worked out, although talks have halted.

The Dodgers continued to monitor the Lindor situation as they explored other avenues to improve their roster, targeting the biggest names on the market from Anthony Rendon to Gerrit Cole. After failing to land a big star in free agency, before the Betts deal, there was debate whether a trade for Lindor was the team’s last hope of making a significant upgrade before the 2020 season.