Cleveland Indians executive Chris Antonetti says the franchise and representatives for star shortstop Francisco Lindor made a “sincere and earnest effort” to agree on a long-term contract before deciding this week to suspend talks. "I’m really appreciative of the effort Francisco and his representatives and our ownership put into the process of trying to find alignment," Antonetti said. Antonetti said he didn't know where Lindor got that number but said the sides did discuss the Indians' ability to add players around Lindor if they did sign a lucrative deal to make him a lifetime Indian. “I think fundamentally it's the economic system in baseball that has a big impact on what we're able to do,” Antonetti said. The knee injury was expected to sideline him for about two months, and while Cleveland is urging caution, the Indians are optimistic about the timeline.

Source: Fox News March 11, 2020 18:22 UTC