MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 1 News, Rumors and Speculation
Just when you thought it was safe to etch a team's 25-man roster in stone, along come the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres to make us start the process all over.
The two rebuilding clubs—one far more along in the process than the other—hooked up for their second blockbuster trade in four months, with the Braves sending All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel and embattled outfielder Melvin Upton to the Padres for a package of talent, including top pitching prospect Matt Wisler.
It serves as a reminder that while major early-season trades aren't common, they can still happen—and that contrary to popular opinion, the rumor mill doesn't always know what's going on behind closed doors. Nobody saw this deal coming.
That said, the rumor mill always provides us with food for thought and potential scenarios to endlessly debate.
While there are a handful of players who are known to be available—a list that includes Atlanta's Carlos Quentin (acquired in the Kimbrel trade), Arizona's Aaron Hill and New York's Dillon Gee—there's no real interest in their services at the moment, as noted by The Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien, Fox Sports' Jon Morosi and the New York Post's Mike Puma.
Nor is there any interest in reading about the middling returns that their respective clubs could potentially receive in exchange. Nobody wants to read an article on speculative trade scenarios that features one-for-one deals where it's an established veteran being traded away for a non-prospect (a player to be named later).
Instead, we'll focus on a pair of National League clubs—one that's kind of, sort of rebuilding and another that might have to re-tool on the fly in the months ahead—that have seen rumors fly around some of their players throughout the offseason but that have been reintroduced to the rumor mill in recent days.
Keep in mind that these aren't deals that would be made today—this is more forward looking than anything—and they are pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.
Chase Utley Gets Traded to the Los Angeles Angels
1 of 4
Los Angeles Gets: 2B Chase Utley
Philadelphia Gets: 1B C.J. Cron, LHP Andrew Heaney and RHP Kyle McGowin
I get it. Chase Utley is Philadelphia's version of Derek Jeter—a respected, revered figure whose value goes far beyond wins and losses. He's not the face of the franchise—he's the heart of a fanbase—and seeing him wear another team's uniform is nearly unfathomable.
That he's got 10-and-5 rights and can veto any trade only complicates matters. But according to The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, there's a growing sentiment among executives that the losing in Philadelphia will eventually get to Utley, who will give his blessing on a deal.
Even Utley would admit that this is a deal the Phillies shouldn't pass up. The outline for this swap originated with Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but with Cron and a pair of right-handed pitching prospects, Chris Ellis and Nick Tropeano, heading to Philly instead.
Cron, 25, has power that will play well at Citizens Bank Park, and while he's not going to win awards for his defense, he's a huge upgrade in the field over Ryan Howard.
Heaney, 23, who was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Angels in the span of a few days over the winter, is the team's top prospect, per MLB.com and is nearly ready for prime time and could be Philadelphia's future ace.
McGowin, also 23, isn't a future star, but he's got the makings of a dependable, reliable back-end arm that a manager can give the ball to every fifth day with little hesitation. There's value in a player like that, even if he's still a year away from making an impact.
As for the Angels, they fill a gaping hole at second base that was created when the club dealt Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers in exchange for Heaney. None of the team's current in-house options—Taylor Featherston, Johnny Giavotella, Josh Rutledge or Alex Yarbrough—should be starting on a contender.
Aroldis Chapman Gets Traded to the Washington Nationals
2 of 4
Cincinnati Gets: 2B/SS Wilmer Difo, RHP Joe Ross and a player-to-be-named later
Washington Gets: LHP Aroldis Chapman
The idea of Cincinnati trading Aroldis Chapman might seem far-fetched, but it's a speculative scenario that ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says he heard fairly often this spring.
"They're (the Nationals) one of those teams that can move players they like and still be a factor for the next two or three years," a scout who watched Washington extensively in camp told Stark. "They have what everyone wants -- a 'now' team with ingredients they can move if they need to."
The Nationals are expected to make a deep playoff run in 2015—adding Chapman would certainly help the club to achieve that goal. For as good as incumbent closer Drew Storen has performed at times, he hasn't exactly been what you'd call consistent over the course of his career.
With an aging core and facing the prospect of losing starters Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake to free agency after the season, Cincinnati needs an influx of young, controllable talent to not only infuse new life into the club but to reduce costs moving forward.
They get just that in this deal.
Named Washington's eighth-best prospect heading into the season by MLB.com, 23-year-old Wilmer Difo doesn't offer much in the power department, but he has a solid approach at the plate and the speed to take extra bases on balls hit down the line or into the outfield gaps.
A future top of the order for the Reds that features Billy Hamilton and Difo could potentially be one of the most dangerous in baseball given their ability to cause havoc with their legs.
Joe Ross, 21, doesn't have quite the upside of his older brother Tyson, currently a starter in San Diego's rotation, but the younger Ross, Washington's fifth-best prospect in MLB.com's rankings, projects to be a dependable mid-rotation arm, one that could contribute in Cincinnati as soon as 2016.
Jonathan Papelbon Gets Traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
3 of 4
Philadelphia Gets: OF D.J. Davis and a player-to-be-named later
Toronto Gets: RHP Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon to Toronto is a rumor that's been making the rounds for months. Thanks to Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who was in attendance scouting the mercurial closer toward the end of spring training, per CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury, it's a rumor that's only continued to gain steam.
Sure, Papelbon can be a toxic presence in a clubhouse when he's unhappy, and the veteran is due $26 million through 2016, which is not exactly an insignificant chuck of change.
But as The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo recently noted, it's not a number that the Blue Jays (among others) couldn't afford to take on. "That $13 million vesting option for 2016 is a killer, but for Rogers Communications (Blue Jays) and Mike Ilitch (Tigers) it’s chicken feed."
While he can block a trade to Toronto, Papelbon has gone on record saying that he'd be open to joining the Blue Jays. “Yes, Toronto, interests me -- if it interests (Phillies GM) Ruben (Amaro Jr.),” he told Salisbury back in February. “I know some of the guys on their coaching staff. They’re a good team. If Ruben can do a deal with them, I’d be interested.”
Toronto's current closer, Brett Cecil, has little experience in the ninth inning and spent part of spring training sidelined by inflammation in his left shoulder. Both should be major concerns for a Blue Jays club that is expected to be playing meaningful baseball deep into October.
Papelbon isn't the dominant force he once was, but he's still a far better ninth-inning option than anyone Toronto currently has.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia clears a path for hard-throwing youngster Ken Giles, who is ready to take over as the team's closer, and acquires a gifted but raw prospect in D.J. Davis, whose combination of power and speed could make him "a truly dynamic player," as MLB.com notes in its profile of the 21-year-old.
.png?w=256)
Johnny Cueto Gets Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
4 of 4
Cincinnati Gets: RHP Jose De Leon, OF Scott Schebler and OF Alex Verdugo
Los Angeles Gets: RHP Johnny Cueto
Like the Chase Utley trade, the basis for this deal comes from the mind of the New York Post's Joel Sherman, though I've substituted Jose De Leon for fellow right-handed pitching prospect Grant Holmes. It's not that I'm down on Holmes at all, but De Leon should reach the majors faster than his counterpart.
All three players are among the Dodgers' 10 best prospects, per MLB.com, and while it's highly unusual for a team to pay such a steep price for a pending free agent, the Dodgers are one of the few teams with a deep enough farm system—and deep enough pockets—to swing a deal and keep Cueto around long term.
After Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Dodgers rotation is full of questions. Hyun-Jin Ryu is dealing with tightness in his left shoulder and might be able to make his regular-season debut in late April, while neither Brett Anderson nor Brandon McCarthy have lengthy track records of being able to stay healthy.
Adding a pitcher of Cueto's caliber would not only shore up the rotation but improve the team's odds in what could be a dynamite playoff series with the equally stacked Washington Nationals down the road.
For the Reds, they get a trio of high-upside, low-cost youngsters to build a future core around.
De Leon, 22, took a major step forward in his development in 2014 and now has the makings of a potential front-of-the-rotation arm. He's got a pair of legitimate strikeout pitches in his mid-90s fastball and low-80s slider and a quickly improving changeup that projects to be another above-average offering.
While it means absolutely nothing in terms of his major league projection, it's worth noting that De Leon broke a record set by Kershaw in 2007 for most strikeouts in a game, fanning 14 for the Single-A Great Lakes Loons last year.
Verdugo, 18, profiles as a future right fielder who will hit for average and power, while Schebler, 24, offers more of the same across the outfield in left and could step in for Marlon Byrd next year, should the Reds forgo the $8 million club option they hold on the veteran for 2016.
.png?w=480)
