Report: Indians asking for best, final offers for Lindor

Francisco Lindor's future with the Cleveland Indians might be coming to an end.

The Indians are telling clubs interested in acquiring the All-Star shortstop that they want their best and final offers so they can make an assessment over the weekend, reports The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

While the request by the Indians doesn't mean a trade for Lindor is certain, it shows they're interested in dealing their top player, Rosenthal adds.

"I do think (the Indians) are trying to bring things to a rapid conclusion," an executive involved in the talks told Rosenthal. "I'm not sure why they want to impose an artificial deadline when they may get a much better deal in January once teams have a clearer picture of what options they have."

Lindor has been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds in recent trade rumors, with L.A. reportedly making his acquisition a focus.

Cleveland apparently likes Reds prospect Nick Senzel, who could be part of a deal between the two Ohio clubs, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

The 26-year-old Lindor is a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, and was the runner-up to Carlos Correa for 2015 AL Rookie of the Year honors.

He's also received MVP consideration in four consecutive seasons, finishing fifth in 2017.

Since arriving in the big leagues, Lindor owns a .288/.347/.493 slash line with 130 home runs, 178 doubles, 384 RBIs, and 93 steals.

The Puerto Rican is under team control for two more seasons and is projected to make $16.7 million in arbitration for the 2020 season, according to MLB Trade Rumors.