![Cleveland Indians owners the Dolan family will save on payroll with the trade after saying they lost millions in the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic [Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/918b996/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F1%2F07%2Fshutterstock_123215632.jpg)
Updated: 2:26 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2020
Cleveland’s baseball team confirmed Thursday afternoon that the team has worked out a deal with the New York Mets to trade Francisco Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco for four players.
In the deal, Cleveland will get shortstops Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez and minor-league prospects Josh Wolf, a right-handed pitcher, and Isaiah Greene, an outfielder.
Indians owners the Dolan family say they lost tens of millions of dollars in 2020. The trade is expected to save the club on payroll, with fan favorite Carrasco set to make $12 million in 2021 and All-Star shortstop Lindor, who will be a free agent after this season, set to earn nearly $20 million in 2021 if baseball plays a full season.
The Lindor trade has been expected since his contract negotiations ended in March.
The trade occurred between teams on two very different financial trajectories. The Mets were bought in November by Steven Cohen, a New York hedge fund owner, for $2.475 billion.
During his first press conference after buying the team, Cohen said the goal was to win a World Series within 3-5 years.
“We’re in an unusual market today given COVID where we’re starting to see a lot of players maybe offloaded because of financial concerns, and I think Sandy [Alderson, Mets General Manager] and I want to take advantage of that,” said Cohen. “So I think there will be lots of opportunities. I think teams are going to want to talk to us, and we’ll see what’s available.”
By contrast, the Indians president of baseball operations, Chris Antonetti, said in October that the club was grappling with losses from the pandemic and a shortened 2020 season.
“I think we know the reality of the financial loss of 2020, and we don't yet know what 2021 will bring,” said Antonetti. “And how we plan for that is something we're in the midst of doing right now.”
Major League Baseball is planning to have a 162-game season this year, with opening day scheduled for April 1.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
