Cleveland's Wild Card Series lo s against the this week ensured two things: 1) that their World Series dreams were over; Colby Rasmus Jersey and 2) that it was open season for speculation about shortstop and his 2021 employer. Lindor will qualify for free agency after next season, . The frugal ways of Cleveland's ownership group means the front office always has to operate with one eye on the present and one on the bottom line. It's le s a matter of if Cleveland will explore Lindor's trade market, then, and more a matter of if they'll find a suitable offer. Even before the pandemic, teams were reluctant to part with good value in exchange for rental players -- especially rental players making in upwards of $20 million, the way Lindor should in 2021. Now, with a season of lost gate revenue to consider, it seems to be a given that teams will drive a hard bargain with the hope of landing a star-caliber player for an unbefitting return. Make no mistake, Lindor is still a star-caliber player. He's an elite defensive shortstop, and a dynamic switch-hitter who could well post a 30-30 season before leaving his prime. Lindor's offensive numbers in 2020 were not up to his standard (he had a 102 OPS+, below his 119 career mark entering the year), but ball-tracking metrics suggest he was better than his raw numbers indicate. He'll turn 27 in November, so interested teams should bet on him bouncing back. With that established, it's time to ask: which teams are likeliest to be interested in Lindor? We've identified nine clubs who would make sense to varying degrees. Below, you'll find those teams along with analysis on their chances and an outline of who they could offer in return. Keep in mind, these situations are fluid and that things can and will change with time. : Modern baseball's team-building philosophy states that one should not acquire prime-aged talent until the club is ready to compete. The Rangers have operated in a counterculture manner in recent years: signing and and trading for were "win-now" maneuvers by a team who would've settled for "respectable-now" status in 2020. Adding Lindor would fit the same vein, albeit on a grander scale. This doesn't have to be a rental situation, either. The Rangers should have the means to reward him with his deserved contract, thereby entrenching him as the first centerpiece of the Globe Life Field era. : The Rangers were really bad in 2020. In addition Brad Brach Jersey to having the second-worst record in the majors, they also had the worst run differential. Having Lindor would help, of course, but there's some indication Texas might go with the flow for once. League insiders confirmed to CBS Sports that the Rangers listened on , among others, at the trade deadline. A suming those talks are revisited this winter, the Rangers would be sending mixed signals to Lindor about their intent to compete now and later. Besides, you just know someone would make a comparison between Lindor and Alex Rodriguez, and nobody needs to have that conversation. : Heck, how about Gallo to solve some of Cleveland's offensive troubles? We're kidding, we're kidding. More realistically, Texas could offer some of their young, big-league-ready talent, like catcher , outfielder , or infielder Anderson Tejada. The Rangers have a slew of arms they could send to Cleveland's pitching factory, and at some point they may need to resolve their glut of high-round collegiate infielders after using top-50 picks the past two drafts on , , and Kevin Gausman Jersey Justin Foscue. : Farhan Zaidi has made the best of an odd predicament. The Giants haven't been good enough to reach the postseason in recent years, yet their old and expensive core has limited their add-on capabilities. Rather than scorch the earth, Zaidi has focused on marginal upgrades to make the most of what time this group has left, which isn't much longer. The contracts of , , , and all expire after the 2021 season, meaning Zaidi should have the financial means to take a big swing. The Giants made a serious pursuit of a few winters ago, so don't discount the chances of them doing something similar either this winter or next as they usher in a new era by the bay. : It's one thing to offer a bank-breaking contract to a free agent; it's another to deal multiple players for a star who could leave at season's end. Zaidi hasn't had a chance to prove if he's willing to take that risk. He should think long and hard about it, though, because that scenario would leave the sans Francisco Giants in a shaky spot. (To be clear, we count that wordplay potential as a negative that Zaidi should try to avoid summoning if at all po sible.) : Obviously Cleveland would love shortstop , or outfielders and . Zaidi might prefer to deal a recent first-round pick instead, be it catchers or Patrick Bailey, or outfielder . The whole thing seems unlikely regardle s. : Unlike the other teams in this tier, the Padres are a legit contender. Adding Lindor would undoubtedly give them a better shot at dethroning the , both in the National League West and in the National League overall. It doesn't hurt that A.J. Preller has demonstrated one of the league's largest appetites for bold moves, or that the Padres still po se s an ample protest warchest -- yes, even after all their dealing at this year's deadline. : It's weird to type, but Lindor's appeal to the Padres might have peaked last winter. Jr. has Chris Tillman Jersey improved at shortstop, minimizing the po sibility that he gets shifted elsewhere on the diamond. Not that San Diego has a ton of open slots anymore anyway, thanks in no small part to the emergence of center fielder and second baseman . If the Padres really, really wanted to, they could find a way to make it work; from an a sets allocation perspective, it makes more sense to just pursue someone else. Dwight Smith Jr. Jersey : Too many talented youngsters, big-league-ready or not, to list. : New owner Steve Cohen might wish to announce his presence by giving his general manager a blank check to make a splash. (League sources have identified Billy Owens, the ' director of player personnel, as the favorite for the GM role.) Lindor would give the Mets another star, and he would push them closer toward contention. : There's no guarantee Cohen will flex his financial might, at least not right away. Rather, he might play it safe so as to not attract heat from the commi sioner's office during some lean financial years for other clubs. Even if Cohen plays the maverick role, his front office could identify a better way to improve the roster. Neither nor are as good as Lindor is, but both are young and have shown potential. : Rosario and Gimenez, for starters. You'd figure that name could pop up, too. Otherwise, the Mets would have to build a package around a