10 Impact Offseason Moves Teams Should Have Already Made
Historically, the real fun of the MLB offseason doesn't begin until the winter meetings.
Unfortunately, that gathering of baseball's top minds and decision-makers doesn't convene until Dec. 6 in Nashville, Tennessee. As we sit around waiting, there's no harm in taking a look at 10 impact moves that make so much sense that they should have already been made.
From a megadeal for Zack Greinke to trades involving a few of the game's top closers, pitchers dominate the list that follows. However, there's also room for a couple of dynamic outfielders who should be on the move sooner rather than later.
Washington Nationals: Dump Jonathan Papelbon to Jump-Star the Relief Rebuild
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According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Washington Nationals have ambitious plans for the offseason as the club aims to redo its lackluster bullpen.
"I’ve now heard from three teams in the last few days that [the] Nationals want to deal both [Jonathan] Papelbon and [Drew] Storen, while chasing [Darren] O'Day, [Aroldis] Chapman and others," Stark tweeted.
Step 1 in that bold plan is to find a taker for the 35-year-old Papelbon, who attempted to choke out Bryce Harper in an unfortunate dugout dust-up last September.
With a 2.13 ERA and an 8.0 strikeout-per-nine ratio while splitting the campaign between the nation's capital and Philadelphia, Papelbon, who earned his sixth All-Star nod last summer, actually put up some strong numbers.
The problematic number is the $11 million salary that the reliever is set to earn in 2016. At the price tag, the Nats' best chance of unloading Papelbon would be to eat some of that salary or to potentially even attach him to a prospect in a deal.
New York Yankees: Trade Brett Gardner to Bolster the Rotation
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As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports explained, dealing Brett Gardner is one of the most logical ways for the New York Yankees to reel in some much-needed "controllable starting pitching."
It's easy enough to understand why the 32-year-old outfielder is an intriguing trade chip. Gardner not only has speed (20 SBs in 2015) and power (16 home runs), but he is also signed to a team-friendly deal. The 2015 All-Star makes $37.5 million over the next three seasons and has a $12.5 million option for 2019 (with a $2 million buyout).
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times floated the idea of a swap between the Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels, noting that the Halos have extra arms to part with. Importing Gardner would also make sense from the Angels' perspective, as the vet would provide the club with an established left-handed bat in a lineup that leans heavily to the right side.
Cincinnati Reds: Cash in on Aroldis Chapman
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Aroldis Chapman is all but a lock to be pitching for some team other than the Cincinnati Reds in 2016.
As C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported via Twitter, president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty would like to deal the electric closer by the winter meetings. Considering that Chapman sported a 1.65 ERA in 2015, every bullpen-starved team in baseball should be calling Jocketty to check in on the lefty.
As has been previously argued, the Los Angeles Dodgers are one club that fits into that camp. With Chapman and Kenley Jansen piling up punchouts out of the pen, the Dodgers would suddenly have the nastiest one-two punch in the Senior Circuit.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Los Angeles has "cast a wide net" in the hunt for bullpen help, and Chapman is one of the pitchers who's on the list of potential targets.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Sell High on Mark Melancon
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After Mark Melancon saved 51 games and earned his second All-Star selection, it's difficult to imagine that reliever's trade value will ever be higher than it is right now.
“A lot of teams would love to have him, he’s one of the best in the game,” an unnamed American League general manager told John Perrotto of the Ellwood City Ledger. “The [Pittsburgh] Pirates would get a pretty good return on him.”
As Perrotto noted, the Bucs will be facing a payroll squeeze as Melancon, Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker are all eligible for salary arbitration this winter. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Melancon is projected to make $10 million. That's a hefty price tag, but it makes him a more affordable trade piece than fellow trade target Aroldis Chapman, who is slated to earn $12.9 million.
St. Louis Cardinals: Re-Sign John Lackey
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With Lance Lynn set to miss the 2016 season after undergoing elbow surgery, the St. Louis Cardinals really need to make sure that John Lackey doesn't depart from Busch Stadium.
Quietly, the vet enjoyed an excellent season for the Cards in 2015, ranking No. 6 in the National League in innings pitched (218) and No. 7 in ERA (2.77). Thanks to those numbers, there's plenty of interest in the starter this offseason. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "[the Chicago] Cubs and [the San Francisco] Giants may have the best shot of signing him.
Even if that is the case, because Lackey rejected his qualifying offer from the Cards, his most recent employer has one major advantage in this contest. Unlike the rest of the field, St. Louis wouldn't have to give up a draft pick to re-sign the starter.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Sign Johnny Cueto
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The baseball world is starting to pay attention to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the NL West squad went 79-83 a season ago.
"Rival evaluators and players continue to see the Diamondbacks as a team that could be very dangerous in 2016, if they add some rotation help," Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted.
One starter who could certainty provide that help is Johnny Cueto. According to Olney, the right-hander is one of the pitchers who the team has "discussed internally" as a potential free-agent option. Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors predicted that the vet will rake in a five-year deal worth $115 million.
Make no mistake about it—there's always risk in inking a prominent starter to a lucrative contact. But with the D-backs sporting an impressive young core of position players headlined by Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock, now is the time for Arizona to gamble on an ace like Cueto.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Find a Taker for Yasiel Puig
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It doesn't sound like Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig will be exchanging Christmas cards.
Just ask Andy Van Slyke, the former first base coach of the Seattle Mariners and father of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke.
"This is just between you and I. When the best player—the highest paid player on the Los Angeles Dodgers—goes to the GM and ... is asked what are [the needs of the Dodgers], this particular highest-paid player said, 'The first thing you need to do is get rid of Puig.' That's all you need to know," Van Slyke told Frank Cusumano on CBS Sports Radio 920, via Brendan Marks.
If the Dodgers want to accommodate the reported wishes of the star starter, there should be no lack of suitors for the enigmatic Puig.
There's no question that the Cuban underperformed in 2015 (11 homer runs and a .255 average), but he's still a uniquely talented player signed to a reasonable contract. Over the next three seasons, the right fielder makes approximately $24.6 million.
David Schoenfield of ESPN identified the Chicago White Sox as one potential trade partner for the reigning NL West champs, arguing that the Dodgers could zero in on the sneaky good Jose Quintana. The left-hander has compiled a 3.46 ERA in four seasons with the South Siders and has posted a 3.51 ERA or better in each of the past three campaigns.
Philadelphia Phillies: Deal Ken Giles to Accelerate the Rebuild
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As Jayson Stark of ESPN noted on Twitter, the Philadelphia Phillies are in no rush to ship out Ken Giles.
"Phillies downplaying possibility of trading Ken Giles. But teams that have spoken with them expect him to be dealt this winter or in July."
Maybe the team should be in a rush.
Losers of 99 games in 2015, the Phillies have all sorts of work to do in the rebuilding process before clawing back into contention. Dealing away Giles would be an immediate way to bring in a haul of young prospects who could be a big part of the club the next time the Phils are relevant.
And it's not just Giles' on-field production (1.80 ERA in 2015) that makes the right-hander such a valuable trade chip. It's also his contract situation, as the closer is under team control through 2020. Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon, the two other ninth-inning aces on the block, are both only under control for one more season.
Boston Red Sox: Sign David Price
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There's no way around it—the Boston Red Sox need an ace. According to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, David Price could be the guy to assume that role at Fenway Park.
"I believe David Price is going to Boston," Verducci said on MLB Network, via CSNNE.com. "[President of baseball operations] Dave Dombrowski is all in.”
There are all sorts of reasons why Dombrowski and the Red Sox's brain trust should act fast to bring Price to Boston. The first reason is that the left-hander was flat-out nasty in 2015. On his way to becoming the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award, Price went 18-5 with a 2.45 ERA.
The second reason is that the starter was especially dominant in his brief stint in the AL East. In 11 outings for the division-winning Toronto Blue Jays, Price compiled a 9-1 record and a 2.30 ERA.
Finally, it's worth noting that signing Price wouldn't cost the Red Sox a draft pick, as the 30-year-old was ineligible to receive a qualifying offer following his midseason trade from the Detroit Tigers.
For now, Price isn't offering any hints as to where he'll be pitching in 2016: "I can always tell the big rumor days...tons of mentions when I haven't even said anything!! I love you all BUT I'm going to play in Japan," Price joked via Twitter.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Ink Zack Greinke to a Megadeal
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Even in a free-agent market awash with impact starters, Zack Greinke stands out.
The righty's 1.66 ERA in 2015 wasn't just the lowest figure last season, but the best mark since Greg Maddux sported a 1.63 ERA way back in 1995, per ESPN Stats & Info. And dealing was nothing new for the ace. Since arriving at Chavez Ravine, Greinke has ripped off a 2.30 ERA in 92 starts across three seasons.
For that reason, the Dodgers simply can't afford to wait around and let another NL powerhouse step in an poach the 32-year-old.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the San Francisco Giants "look like they might pose a formidable threat to steal [the] star" away from Los Angeles. As Heyman noted, either the Chicago Cubs or St. Louis Cardinals could also make a play for the starter.
Losing Greinke to any of those three clubs would be doubly painful, as the Dodgers would not only be losing a front-line guy, but could also end up running into him in the postseason next October.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on BaseballProspectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
