MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 11 News, Rumors and Speculation
While there's no official date on the baseball calendar, it's widely accepted that the conclusion of MLB's first-year player draft signals the unofficial start of trade season in baseball. Teams shift their focus from the amateurs to the professionals, looking for the piece (or pieces) that will propel them to success.
"Now people start to look at that, but there's still so much ambiguity as far as who's in and who's out (of contention)," Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow told the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich. "Some of that needs to settle. We've been preparing all season, but I think it'll intensify over the coming weeks."
It's a pitching-heavy edition of our weekly attempt at playing general manager, with a focus on the Cincinnati Reds, a team with (potentially) three of the biggest trade chips to play in the coming weeks, including a Cy Young Award contender and one of the most electrifying relievers in the game.
It's important to remember that the teams we'd classify as buyers won't be the only clubs in the running to acquire a given player's services, so the packages proposed are not only geared toward being fair to both sides, but to ensure that the seller takes a buyer's offer over the competition's.
Additionally, keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.
Aroldis Chapman Gets Traded to Washington
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Cincinnati Gets: RHP Joe Ross, RHP Austin Voth and a player to be named later
Washington Gets: LHP Aroldis Chapman
Cincinnati and Washington have talked about a potential deal involving Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi, though he cautioned that talks were very preliminary. Still, should the Reds decide to move Chapman (they should at this point), the Nationals are in position to land him.
Cincinnati isn't getting the likes of A.J. Cole, Lucas Giolito or Reynaldo Lopez from Washington in a deal for Aroldis Chapman, no matter how nasty the flame-throwing southpaw may be. But that doesn't mean the Reds aren't getting quality in return.
Cincinnati winds up with two of Washington's top five pitching prospects (and two of their top 10 overall, per MLB.com) in Joe Ross (No. 5) and Austin Voth (No. 10), plus a third prospect that's more of a mid-tier option than an elite one.
Ross, 22, the younger brother of San Diego starter Tyson Ross, has been impressive since joining Washington's rotation as an injury replacement, pitching to a 3.46 ERA (1.49 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP with 13 strikeouts over 13.2 innings of work. His ceiling is probably that of a No. 3 starter, but a very good No. 3.
Voth, also 22, has pitched to a 3.56 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 62 strikeouts in 65.2 innings of work at Double-A Harrisburg and owns a 2.79 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across parts of three minor league seasons. As MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo notes in his preseason scouting report, Voth is impressive:
"Voth pounds the zone with his whole three-pitch arsenal. He relies on his fastball, which typically sits around 90-91 mph, but can climb up to 95. His slider and changeup give him two more Major League-average offerings. As a result of his above-average control, his stuff plays up and he is able to pile up strikeouts.
Built like an innings-eating starter, Voth often gets better the deeper into games he goes. As long as he keeps throwing strikes, he could continue on the fast track he put himself on with his impressive debut.
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As for Chapman, he strengthens a Nationals bullpen that ranks 10th in the National League in ERA (3.65), ninth in WHIP (1.28) and eighth in save percentage at 77 percent (30-of-39). His arrival would push current closer Drew Storen into a setup role, adding needed depth to the team's relief corps.
Tyler Clippard Gets Traded to the Blue Jays
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Oakland Gets: 2B/3B Lane Thomas and RHP Jesus Tinoco
Toronto Gets: RHP Tyler Clippard
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Oakland and Toronto have had discussions about a potential deal involving veteran reliever Tyler Clippard, a player that the New York Post's Joel Sherman reminds us the Blue Jays tried to obtain from Washington over the winter.
A free agent after the season, Clippard has had success as a closer before and is more than capable of holding down the ninth inning, though he could just as easily become Toronto's primary setup man for Brett Cecil.
Oakland gets a pair of Toronto's top 30 prospects in exchange, Lane Thomas (No. 22) and Jesus Tinoco (No. 30), both intriguing youngsters who are still in the early stages of their development.
Thomas, 19, has only 52 professional games under his belt, but he's shown a knack for getting on base consistently and making hard contact. He is athletic enough to bounce around the diamond, whether it's the middle infield, third base or the outfield, which he played growing up.
While it's way too early to peg him as the next Ben Zobrist, he certainly shares many of the same qualities as the versatile veteran.
Tinoco, 20, is more of a project, but he's got the size (6'4", 190 lbs) and stuff to develop into an effective major league pitcher. Armed with a sinking fastball that sits in the mid-90s and induces ground balls, how his secondary offerings develop will likely dictate whether his future lies in the rotation or the bullpen.
Johnny Cueto Gets Traded to Houston
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Cincinnati Gets: RHP Jandel Gustave, RHP Joe Musgrove and OF Domingo Santana
Houston Gets: RHP Johnny Cueto
It's been about two weeks since CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that Houston had interest in Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto, and the Astros are still in need of another front-line starter to pair alongside Dallas Keuchel.
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow recently told the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich that the team is focused on winning and won't "leave the cupboard with pieces in it that we possibly could have used to get to the playoffs."
To land a player of Johnny Cueto's caliber—even though he's nothing more than a short-term rental—it's going to cost the Astros three of their better prospects, including 22-year-old outfielder Domingo Santana, named the 61st-best prospect in all of baseball before the season by MLB.com.
Santana has terrorized Triple-A pitching thus far, hitting .320 with 27 extra-base hits (11 home runs), 38 RBI and a 1.028 OPS over 56 games. He's got a strong enough arm to stick in right field and could be Cincinnati's replacement for Jay Bruce, who is a free agent after the 2016 season.
An imposing figure on the mound (6'5", 250 lbs), Joe Musgrove has impressed at every level he's pitched thus far and worked his way through three levels of the Astros minor league system in 2015. Between stops at Single-A, High-A and now Double-A, the 22-year-old's gone a combined 9-1 with a 1.58 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 69 strikeouts over 62.2 innings of work, walking only two batters.
Jandel Gustave is more of a project than Musgrove, but the 22-year-old has a fastball that sits in the mid-to-upper-90s and grades out as an 80 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. It's his lack of quality secondary offerings that has held him back, but the potential is there.
As for Cueto, we know what he brings to the table. Let's not forget that the Astros have money to spend, so re-signing Cueto after the season certainly isn't out of the question, even if Heyman reports of his desire for a $200 million contract are accurate.
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Ben Revere Gets Traded to Los Angeles (AL)
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Los Angeles (AL) Gets: OF Ben Revere
Philadelphia Gets: 3B Kaleb Cowart and RHP Christopher Ellis
Los Angeles continues to search for a leadoff hitter and is one of two teams, along with Seattle, to be known to have interest in Philadelphia's Ben Revere, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo.
Revere, 27, offers almost nothing in the power department but hits for average, has the speed and baserunning acumen to cause problems when he gets on, and offers passable defense in left field, where his lack of elite arm strength is less of an issue than it would be elsewhere.
Due the balance of his $4.1 million salary this year and under team control through the 2017 season, Revere doesn't represent a massive financial investment, as his salary figures to remain reasonable even with two years of arbitration remaining.
In exchange, the Angels send Philadelphia a pair of top-15 prospects, Kaleb Cowart and Christopher Ellis.
Once considered one of baseball's best prospects, Cowart has struggled to produce in the upper levels of the minor leagues but is still talented and young enough (23) to get his career back on track. A change of scenery (and some new voices) might be just what he needs.
With a strong arm and quick reflexes at the hot corner, he could eventually allow the Phillies to slide Maikel Franco over to first base (if and when they move Ryan Howard), locking down the infield corners for the foreseeable future.
Ellis, a third-round selection in the 2014 draft by the Angels, has moved quickly through the Angels minor league system, reaching Double-A in his first full professional season. A converted reliever, the 22-year-old has two plus offerings (his fastball and changeup) that he throws for strikes routinely.
His lack of a quality third pitch (his curveball is a work in progress) could ultimately push him back into relief, though he's got the build and makeup to stick in the rotation if his secondary stuff continues to develop.
Mike Leake Gets Traded to the Yankees
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Cincinnati Gets: IF/OF Jose Pirela and OF Mason Williams
New York Gets: RHP Mike Leake
The Reds and Yankees have been scouting each other over the past week or so, according to the New York Post's George A. King III, with New York focused on Cincinnati starters Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake.
Both free agents after the season, the Yankees aren't going to surrender the top prospect (or two) that it will take to swing a deal for Cueto. Leake, a mid-rotation arm, won't be nearly as expensive to obtain. That said, he's going to have multiple suitors, so the Yankees will need to offer a quality package of young talent to land him.
It starts with outfielder Mason Williams, once considered the team's top prospect (and one of the 100 best in baseball).
After struggling badly in 2013 and 2014, Williams, 23, seems to have made the adjustments necessary to get back to his previous ways. He's hit a combined .318 with a .795 OPS over 54 games in Double-A and Triple-A and recently made his big league debut, going deep in his first game (second at-bat).
Primarily a center fielder who offers excellent defense, Williams has enough developing power that he could slide over to left field without much of an issue.
Jose Pirela, 25, who opened eyes with a torrid performance this spring, led the International League (Triple-A) in hits (163), runs (87) and triples (11) in 2014. Primarily a second baseman, Pirela is versatile enough to bounce around the diamond, playing shortstop as well as all three outfield positions.
It's not hard to see him replacing Skip Schumaker as Cincinnati's primary utility player and serving as Brandon Phillips' primary backup at the keystone.
While adding Leake may seem like overkill for a Yankees rotation that will soon get Ivan Nova back from Tommy John surgery, nobody can be sure just how effective Nova will be—and the Yankees could opt to bring him along slowly and limit his innings by sticking him in the bullpen.
Unless otherwise linked or noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of June 15. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts.
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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