MLB Trade Ideas Based on Week 8 News, Rumors and Speculation
It's official: Baseball's rumor mill is back in business.
We've seen a slew of rumors and speculation make the rounds over the past week, some of it driven by untimely injuries and some by a lack of production. Regardless of the reason, teams are realizing that they may not have the answers in-house and have begun scouring the market for reinforcements.
The players involved in this week's chatter run the gamut from those still in their prime to top prospects and veterans some of us may have forgotten were still playing.
Keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication any of them have actually been discussed.
Brett Gardner Gets Traded to the Chicago White Sox
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Chicago White Sox Get: LF Brett Gardner
New York Yankees Get: RHP Spencer Adams
The Rumor
ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Yankees need to clear room so Aaron Hicks—and eventually Aaron Judge—can get some regular playing time in the outfield. He suggested Brett Gardner as a possible trade candidate.
While a guest on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio on Monday, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said of his team's needs, "We could always use additional pitching, and we could probably use another left-handed hitter to balance the lineup."
Last Tuesday, Hahn told reporters, "We are prepared to make a big move today if it presents itself."
Why It Makes Sense for Chicago
This would certainly be a big move for the White Sox.
Gardner's left-handed bat would fit perfectly in the 3-hole between Adam Eaton and Jose Abreu. Jimmy Rollins, who has struggled to produce in that spot, would drop down the lineup.
Defensively, Gardner would be an upgrade in left field over Melky Cabrera and an all-around improvement over Austin Jackson in center field, though he's primarily played left since 2014. Manager Robin Ventura would have options.
Gardner's deal won't be a huge financial burden, as whatever's left of his $13.5 million salary this year can be covered with the money the team had allocated to Adam LaRoche. Gardner is due a combined $24 million in 2017 and 2018, including a $2 million buyout of a $12.5 million team option for 2019.
Why It Makes Sense for New York
Spencer Adams may never be anything more than a low-end No. 2 or solid No. 3 starter, but it's unlikely he'll be anything less than that, either.
Chicago's No. 3 overall prospect, per MLB.com, has four average or above pitches, including a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid-90s and phenomenal control, with 32 walks and 196 strikeouts over 223 career minor league innings.
Currently at High-A Winston-Salem, the 20-year-old Adams likely wouldn't be ready to contribute until late 2017.
James Loney Gets Traded to the New York Mets
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New York Mets Get: 1B James Loney
San Diego Padres Get: A player to be named later
The Rumor
With Lucas Duda out at least four to six weeks with a stress fracture in his back, the Mets are in the market for a first baseman, which assistant general manager John Ricco confirmed when he told Newsday's David Lennon that the team wouldn't be able to replace Duda internally.
Why It Makes Sense for New York
The Mets have no idea when Duda will be able to return. With the team ruling out Dominic Smith, its top first base prospect, as a possibility, per Newsday's Marc Carig, New York needs someone with major league experience.
Enter James Loney, a career .285 hitter over parts of 10 major league seasons who has hit well for Triple-A El Paso, posting a .333/.368/.417 triple-slash line over 39 games. His left-handed bat brings some balance to the Mets lineup, while his glove will be an upgrade over Duda defensively.
Why It Makes Sense for San Diego
San Diego signed Loney to provide insurance for incumbent first baseman Wil Myers, who doesn't have a great track record of being able to stay healthy. But with the Padres going nowhere and the 32-year-old Loney not a part of the team's future, it makes sense for San Diego to get what it can for him.
The Padres aren't getting a blue-chip prospect in return, but they will have the chance to pick from an agreed-upon list of midlevel prospects.
Aroldis Chapman and Brian McCann Get Traded to the Texas Rangers
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New York Yankees Get: 3B/OF Joey Gallo, RHP Jonathan Hernandez and RHP Luis Ortiz
Texas Rangers Get: LHP Aroldis Chapman and C Brian McCann
The Rumor
ESPN's Buster Olney and Keith Law floated All-Star catcher Brian McCann as a possible trade candidate on last week's Baseball Tonight podcast, with Olney suggesting a deal between New York and Texas involving Joey Gallo.
Speculation surrounding Aroldis Chapman's future with the Yankees has been swirling ever since he was traded to the Bronx. We took a look at a potential deal involving the All-Star last week.
Why It Makes Sense for New York
This deal, which brings the Yankees a pair of top-100 prospects in Gallo and Luis Ortiz, per MLB.com, works for them on multiple levels.
First, it would enable them to get younger. The team's top catching prospect, 23-year-old Gary Sanchez, has nothing left to prove in the minors and would get to take over behind the plate. Gallo, 22, whose left-handed swing looks tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, can split time with Chase Headley at third base if not replace him completely.
Ortiz, 20, has a higher ceiling than the 19-year-old Jonathan Hernandez, but both project to be solid mid-rotation arms, with Ortiz having the potential to become a good No. 2 starter in the big leagues.
They also get less expensive, moving the Yankees one step closer to getting under the $189 million luxury tax threshold, resetting the penalty for what many assume will be a massive spending spree after the 2018 season, when Bryce Harper and others will hit the free-agent market.
Why It Makes Sense for Texas
For a contending team in a wide-open division (a wide-open league, for that matter) that needs a catcher and a closer, you can't do much better than McCann and Chapman.
The 32-year-old backstop brings power, leadership and quality defense to a team that could use at least two of the three (I can't speak to the clubhouse culture in Texas). He has a full no-trade clause and will likely want his $15 million 2019 option* guaranteed to waive it.
That works for the Rangers, as it's just around the time Josh Morgan, the team's top catching prospect, should be ready. He can serve as McCann's backup as a rookie, gaining invaluable experience and knowledge that should make him better suited to take over full time in 2020.
Chapman, a free agent after the season, remains one of the best closers, if not the best closer, in baseball. His triple-digit heat plays anywhere, and the fact that he'll already have an established relationship and comfort level with McCann should make for a seamless transition to his third team in the span of a year.
Giving up Gallo and Ortiz stings, but the Rangers can afford to part with both. Gallo is blocked at third base by Adrian Beltre and in the outfield corners by a slew of players, while Texas still has high-upside pitching prospects like Dillon Tate, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Mike Matuella and Brett Martin in the system.
*McCann's 2019 team option becomes a player option if he has at least 1,000 plate appearances combined in 2017-18, starts at least 90 games at catcher in 2018, and doesn't end 2018 on the disabled list.
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Drew Storen Gets Traded to the San Francisco Giants
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San Francisco Giants Get: RHP Drew Storen
Toronto Blue Jays Get: RHP Joan Gregorio
The Rumor
Toronto has let it be known that veteran reliever Drew Storen is available, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
Per Elliott, scouts from the Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants were in attendance Friday to see Storen toss a scoreless seventh inning against Minnesota, when Toronto had a 9-2 lead.
Why It Makes Sense for San Francisco
Storen has been downright awful in Toronto, and there's no guarantee that a change of scenery will fix what ails the 28-year-old reliever. But it might be all he needs to get back on track, and given the relative mediocrity of San Francisco's bullpen, it's a risk worth taking for the Giants.
Storen does have a lengthy track record of success in the National League, pitching to a 3.02 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 95 career saves over parts of six seasons in Washington. The fact that he's still posting solid strikeout (9.6 Ks per nine innings) and walk (2.4 BB/9) rates indicates he hasn't lost his stuff completely.
Storen is a free agent after the season, so the Giants won't be saddled with a burdensome contract should he fail to return to his past form.
Why It Makes Sense for Toronto
The Blue Jays would be selling low on Storen, but they can't really afford to keep sending him out to the mound in the hope he'll figure things out if they're to make a run in the American League East.
San Francisco has tried developing 24-year-old Joan Gregorio as a starter, but the 6'7" righty lacks a quality third pitch to stick in the rotation. Armed with a mid-90s fastball and high-80s slider, he has the makings of a solid bullpen weapon, one who could help Toronto sooner than later.
Toronto also sheds what's left of Storen's $8.4 million salary, giving the team a bit more flexibility when it comes to taking on salary in additional moves.
Jay Bruce Gets Traded to the Kansas City Royals
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Cincinnati Reds Get: RHP Josh Staumont and LHP Matt Strahm
Kansas City Royals Get: OF Jay Bruce and $5 million
The Rumor
Kansas City is looking for a left-handed bat and has interest in Cincinnati's Jay Bruce, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Why It Makes Sense for Cincinnati
Not even a solid start to the season is enough to rebuild Bruce's trade value to the point that teams are going to be willing to absorb his salary and offer Cincinnati quality prospects in return. So, the Reds agree here to pick up half of the roughly $8 million left on his 2016 salary—and the $1 million buyout of his $13 million team option for 2017—in exchange for better prospects.
They land a pair of intriguing arms in Josh Staumont and Matt Strahm, both of whom could contribute as early as next season.
Staumont, 22, has been developed as a starter but struggles with command, walking an absurd 8.0 batters per nine innings over parts of two minor league seasons. But he also knows how to miss bats, with an impressive 13.1 K/9 rate, and he has an electric fastball that can crack triple digits. He could be a beast of a late-inning reliever if he can learn how to command his control.
Strahm, 24, has all the makings of a solid mid-rotation arm, with a low-to-mid-90s fastball and solid curveball constituting the best pitches in his repertoire. Especially tough on left-handed hitters, Strahm could slide into a relief role to expedite his arrival in the big leagues.
Why It Makes Sense for Kansas City
Bruce's defense is a liability, but his power plays anywhere, and now two years removed from injuries to both knees, he's once again become a productive bat in the middle of Cincinnati's lineup.
Sure, he still strikes out a bunch, but with Alex Gordon expected to miss up to a month with a broken bone in his hand, the Royals outfield depth is stretched thin. Adding Bruce to the mix would allow Kansas City to continue platooning Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando, this time in left field instead of right.
Bruce also offers the Royals an alternative to Kendrys Morales as a designated hitter, particularly against right-handed pitching, which has held the switch-hitting Morales to a paltry .142/.200/.258 triple-slash line this season.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of May 23. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk the Hot Stove League and all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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