Report: Indians willing to discuss Lindor trade ahead of deadline

One of baseball's premier players may be up for grabs.

The Cleveland Indians are willing to discuss a Francisco Lindor deal ahead of Monday's trade deadline, reports MLB Network's Jon Heyman. However, the price is so high that a deal likely won't happen until the offseason, Heyman added.

Other teams around the league reportedly believe the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to land the switch-hitting shortstop. Lindor reportedly wants to be paid in the same range as Mookie Betts' $365-million extension, which is not doable for the small-market Indians.

Lindor is having a down season by his standards, as his .764 OPS is just slightly above league average. However, over the last three seasons, he's slashed .278/.342/.514 while averaging 34 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. He's elite defensively, too, winning his second career Gold Glove award last season.

The 26-year-old is eligible for free agency in 2022.