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Jeff Passan all but confirms Yankees are out on Francisco Lindor trade sweepstakes

By Thomas Carannante|
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 30: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians fields a ground ball hit by DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees at first during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on September 30, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 30: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians fields a ground ball hit by DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees at first during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on September 30, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Don’t expect the Yankees to trade for Francisco Lindor.

Offseason chatter is … just that. Offseason chatter. The New York Yankees have been connected to Francisco Lindor since last offseason and the rumors have only gotten louder once the 2020 season concluded.

And throughout this entire time, we’ve all known the issue with that. The Yankees have Gleyber Torres, who is supposed to be their shortstop of the future, and are angling to bring back DJ LeMahieu, who will likely play second base for the next four years if a deal were to get done. So where’s Lindor going to go? Are you going to trade Gleyber? Not re-sign LeMahieu?

Why fix something that’s not (entirely) broken? Torres’ “issues” at shortstop were magnified during the shortened season, but he’s yet to get a fair shake at the position after mostly playing second base to start his MLB career. A lot of this is complicated!

But the good news is we have more evidence that the Lindor-Yankees connection is merely just people connecting the dots because such a move might make sense, especially since the Yankees have the assets to easily strike a deal.

ESPN insider Jeff Passan appeared on Jomboy Media’s Winter Meetings on Thursday to talk a whole lotta baseball and was eventually asked to address the Lindor rumors in an effort to clarify things for baseball fans. Passan is a highly trusted insider so his perspective on the matter is the next best thing to the truth.

He did throw everyone off, however, when he predicted Lindor would land with “Toronto or New York.” He meant the Mets, not the Yankees. His forecast for the Yankees? “No chance.”

The good news? Perhaps Yankees fans can stop viewing this as a potential option to further cloud the team’s offseason endeavors. It seems like it’s DJ or bust, and if it’s a bust, then expect a cost-effective shortstop or second baseman to come on board.

The bad news? The Yankees’ crosstown rival in the Mets and division rival in the Blue Jays appear to be the favorites right now. Lindor going to the Mets doesn’t really affect the Yankees, but it does give them more of a spotlight in New York. Lindor going to the Jays, however, could potentially bother the Yankees for the next eight years.

There’s your biggest Yankees update from the Winter Meetings. We know. Sad.

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