MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 14 News, Rumors and Speculation
All the talk this time of year is about contenders and pretenders, buyers and sellers, but the reality of the situation is that every team in baseball is always looking for ways to improve. Essentially, everyone is a buyer and a seller—because you've got to give up something of value to get what you want.
Another thing that we talk about a lot is value, but that's probably the most subjective term out there. If we're being completely honest, a player's value on the trade market—say someone like Chicago's Jeff Samardzija—isn't wholly dictated by his contract status or his statistics, though both play a part.
A player's value is ultimately dictated by what another team is willing to pay to acquire him, whether it be by way of an in-season trade or as a free agent after the season. Nothing more and nothing less.
Sometimes that's enough to get a deal done, sometimes it's not. With that in mind, we bring you this week's look at potential trade ideas based on the latest the rumor mill has to offer.
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 also 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.
Cole Hamels Gets Traded to the Cubs
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Cubs Get: LHP Cole Hamels and $25 million
Phillies Get: OF Albert Almora, RHP Pierce Johnson, C/OF Kyle Schwarber and 1B Dan Vogelbach
Just seeing Kyle Schwarber's name listed here is going to be enough to work some Cubs fans into a frenzy, but ask yourself this: If you were the one calling the shots in Philadelphia, would you trade Cole Hamels to Chicago without getting Schwarber in the deal?
Neither would I.
While adding a short-term rental like Johnny Cueto or Scott Kazmir would make a big difference and be far less costly in terms of prospects, the Cubs aren't just thinking about 2015—they're looking at 2016 and beyond as well. That makes Hamels just about the perfect deadline addition for the club, as Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi writes:
"The Cubs hope to acquire a frontline starting pitcher between now and Opening Day 2016, anyway. Trading for Hamels would enable Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer & Co. to check off a major item from their offseason shopping list. With a two-month rental, they would need to start from scratch in the intense bidding for free agent David Price (whom they are known to covet).
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Due $70.5 million through 2018 and with a 2019 option that's worth at least $20 million ($24 million if it vests), Hamels would be a relative bargain, especially compared to what Price is going to command in free agency. With the Phillies essentially picking up one year of the deal, it becomes even less costly.
Financially, that is, as four of Chicago's best prospects—including three that landed on Baseball Prospectus' top 101 list heading into the season—make their way to Philadelphia.
It's a package built around Schwarber (No. 77), who opened eyes in mid-June when he hit .364 (8-for-22) with a triple, home run and six RBI during a six-game stint as Chicago's designated hitter. Whether he can stick behind the plate is largely irrelevant, as Philadelphia has a need in left field as well.
Albert Almora (No. 38) is an elite defender in center field who has shown the ability to make consistent contact but whose overall approach at the plate needs work. Only 21, there's plenty of time for his bat to catch up to his glove.
No. 83 Pierce Johnson's development has been stymied by a handful of injuries, but he's put up excellent numbers when healthy (a 2.57 ERA and 1.26 WHIP over 248.2 career innings) and projects to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter in the big leagues.
A first baseman blocked in Chicago by Anthony Rizzo, Dan Vogelbach's power would play well at Citizens Bank Park, where he could be a long-term solution at first base.
Gerardo Parra Gets Traded to the Giants
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Milwaukee Gets: OF/2B Hunter Cole and RHP Chase Johnson
San Francisco Gets: OF Gerardo Parra
San Francisco has liked Gerardo Parra "forever," according to CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly, which makes ESPN's Buster Olney report that Parra was near the top of the team's list in its search for outfield help not all that surprising.
A free agent after the season, the 28-year-old is enjoying a career year at the plate, hitting .308 with 29 extra-base hits (seven home runs) and a .822 OPS, though he's been a bit of a defensive liability as he's bounced around Milwaukee's outfield.
Still, with both Nori Aoki and Hunter Pence on the disabled list, Parra would give the Giants a badly needed boost and some insurance should Aoki and/or Pence suffer a setback.
The Brewers, a team that needs help pretty much everywhere on the diamond, get a pair of mid-level prospects in exchange, players who could contribute in the big leagues as early as next season.
Selected by the Giants in the 26th round of the 2014 draft, Hunter Cole has moved quickly through the team's system and reached Double-A in his first full professional season. Owner of a career .298/.363/.477 slash line, Cole has developing power and has shown the ability to make consistent contact.
Currently pitching at High-A San Jose, Chase Johnson, a third-round pick in 2013, hasn't moved quite as quickly through the minors.
But he's exhibited terrific command over his pitches and knows how to miss bats, with a 3.0 BB/9 and 8.0 K/9 across 230 minor league innings while keeping the ball on the ground more than 50 percent of the time (per Minor League Central), a skill that will serve him well at Miller Park.
Jeff Samardzija Gets Traded to the Yankees
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Chicago Gets: 3B Eric Jagielo and RHP Bryan Mitchell
New York Gets: RHP Jeff Samardzija
While Chicago has no intention of holding a fire sale at the trade deadline, it makes sense for the White Sox to move Jeff Samardzija, who at this point in the season is more likely to test the free-agent market than agree to a long-term extension with the club.
The Yankees are looking to bolster their rotation, and Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal believes that Samardzija would be a "perfect fit" in New York. He may not be a No. 1 starter, but he'd bring some stability to a rotation that needs it.
New York has no idea what it's going to get from Nate Eovaldi, Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka from start to start, while CC Sabathia has been downright awful and Ivan Nova, recently returned from 2014 Tommy John surgery, is still rounding into form.
In exchange for "The Shark," the White Sox land a pair of quality youngsters that could become immediate contributors.
Eric Jagielo isn't going to win any awards for his defense at third base, but the 23-year-old has plenty of pop in his bat and could finally bring Chicago's seemingly never-ending search for a long-term answer at the hot corner to an end. Blocked by Chase Headley in the Bronx, he's expendable.
Bryan Mitchell's ceiling is probably that of a No. 3 starter, but the 24-year-old has already gotten a taste of the big leagues and is ready for a regular turn in a major league rotation.
He also ensures that the White Sox have a right-handed starter to turn to, seeing as how the rest of the team's rotation—John Danks, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Chris Sale—are all lefties.
Ryan Howard Gets Traded to the Cardinals
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Philadelphia Gets: LHP Tim Cooney
St. Louis Gets: 1B Ryan Howard and $45 million
Matt Holliday's return to action will certainly help St. Louis' offense, but it won't stop the team from continuing to explore ways to bolster the lineup with another bat.
“I don’t think the bat has to be at a specific position,” GM John Mozeliak told Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I think when you look at our current roster constitution, maybe a left-handed bat with power would be more attractive than a right-handed bat. Those are some of the things we’ll explore.”
Enter Ryan Howard, a Missouri native who grew up less than an hour away from Busch Stadium in Wildwood.
The 35-year-old is a shell of the perennial MVP candidate that he once was, but if there's one thing Howard still has, it's power. In fact, his 13 home runs on the season would lead the Cardinals, who have seen only shortstop Jhonny Peralta (11 HR) crack double digits.
Howard still has significant money left on his deal—roughly $47.5 million through 2017. That includes the $12.5 million (approximately) that he's still due this year, his $25 million salary in 2016 and a $10 million buyout of the $23 team option on his deal for 2017.
But the Phillies are known to be willing to pick up most of the money left on his contract to facilitate a deal, and in this case, the Cardinals would be on the hook for only $2.5 million. That's a negligible amount, even for a mid-market club like St. Louis.
Howard would immediately give the Cardinals not only a bat with some power to use off the bench, but a left-handed complement to Mark Reynolds at first base. In 2016, he'd fill the same role, only platooning with the injured Matt Adams instead.
For their trouble, the Phillies land a local product of their own, 24-year-old southpaw Tim Cooney, a Pennsylvania native who grew up less than an hour away from Citizens Bank Park in Malvern.
Cooney hasn't fared well in his two major league starts this season, surrendering three home runs over 8.1 innings of work, but he projects to be a dependable, reliable No. 4 starter in the majors, one who can eat innings and give his team the chance to win more often than not.
Johnny Cueto Gets Traded to the Dodgers
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Cincinnati Gets: RHP Grant Holmes, RHP Zach Lee and IF/OF Darnell Sweeney
Los Angeles Gets: RHP Johnny Cueto
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal says that he wouldn't be surprised if the Los Angeles Dodgers added more than one starting pitcher at the trade deadline, naming Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto as someone who's on their radar.
While the Dodgers certainly have the ability to go out and add someone like Cole Hamels, who would provide them with insurance against a Zack Greinke departure after the season, adding two short-term rentals might make more sense for the club.
After all, they can easily afford to re-sign one (or both) of those arms after the season if they so desire, or they can let those arms walk and jump into the bidding for David Price on the free-agent market.
In this deal, Cincinnati gets a pair of young starters in Grant Holmes and Zach Lee to pair with the currently injured Homer Bailey in its rotation of the not-so-distant future. Lee, who has never quite lived up to expectations, projects more as an innings-eating No. 3/No 4 starter rather than a front-of-the-rotation arm due to a lack of a true strikeout pitch.
But he's pretty much ready to contribute to a major league rotation, whereas Holmes, whose ceiling is higher (No. 2 starter), is still another year or two away from reaching the big leagues.
Darnell Sweeney offers little in the way of power, but he can hit for average, has the speed to cause issues when he gets on base and is a solid defender up the middle, whether it be at second base or in center field. With Billy Hamilton entrenched in center, he could be Cincinnati's long-term replacement for Brandon Phillips.
Unless otherwise linked or noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs and are current through games of July 6. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts.
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