Albert Belle Blasts Indians for Trade Rumors Surrounding Francisco Lindor

The Cleveland Indians have Francisco Lindor under team control through the 2021 MLB season.

Yet the rumors have already emerged about the team trading him either this offseason or by the 2020 trade deadline to get maximum value in a deal. That isn't exactly an uplifting thought for anyone who supports the team, including former players, like the always-outspoken Albert Belle.

Belle is an interesting person to offer this take, considering he left the team in free agency and nothing was gained in return. Perhaps the Indians learned from that mistake.

Belle does bring up an interesting point, though, regardless of his background. Trading Lindor, if it is an inevitability, is going to be a polarizing move in Cleveland.

Some will curse ownership for not spending, while others will call Lindor greedy. Then, there are those who will just be sad.

Indians fans will still attend games once Lindor is gone. Belle may not, but he is not exactly the voice of the fans, and has notably missed many events honoring the teams he played with in the 90s.

This is the tough part of being a sports fan. Fans continue to support teams after controversial moves that send beloved players elsewhere in the name of not spending money to keep them.

But maybe Belle is right this time around. Trading Lindor, especially during the 2020 season, could be the final straw for some fans who have seen the team go generations without a World Series title.