In January 2018, I sat down at my computer all wide-eyed, innocent and hopeful, and tried to figure out what it might cost for the Cleveland Indians to sign Francisco Lindor to a long-term deal.
I took into account what other star position players were being paid at the time, as well as what some of Lindor’s contemporaries could reasonably be expected to command, whether in the form of extensions from their current teams or offers from the league at large upon reaching free agency. I also naturally factored in the simple truth that the Indians aren’t playing with the same bankroll as many of the other teams at the MLB craps table.