Fact or Fiction on All of Week 2's Hottest MLB Free-Agency, Trade Rumors
Players who have never made an appearance at MLB's All-Star Game need not apply, for our sights are set on the rumors and speculation surrounding some big names as the second week of baseball's offseason rolls along.
Chatter like this is what makes the hot stove league as interesting and exciting as the actual on-field action during the regular season. The possibilities are endless, and fans of even the most downtrodden teams can dream of a big move (or two) that might thrust their favorite club back into the spotlight.
Speaking of the spotlight, can one of baseball's best relievers turn his postseason performance into a nine-figure payday? Is the face of one franchise about to blend into the background with another? Could we see one of the game's iconic figures be traded for the second time?
We'll hit on all that and more in this week's edition of "Fact or Fiction."
Fact: Howie Kendrick Will Be Traded
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Howie Kendrick doesn't mind being a super-utility player, someone who bounces around the field as needed. But according to Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball, the veteran would like to do so for a team with which he could get more regular playing time than he did last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 32-year-old struggled in April and September, hitting a combined .175, but was plenty productive the rest of the season, hitting .286 with a .789 OPS. With the Dodgers expected to re-sign Chase Utley, according to Heyman, and having versatile pieces like Enrique Hernandez and Austin Barnes on the roster, Kendrick is expendable.
Trading Kendrick won't bring back a massive return, but a number of teams could use his services and fit his $10 million salary into their payroll. Rather than keep an unhappy player in the clubhouse, the Dodgers will find a deal worth making.
Fiction: Houston Will Trade for Miguel Cabrera
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Miguel Cabrera in Houston? It's something the Astros wouldn't mind seeing, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, who tweeted Wednesday the team "will pursue Miguel Cabrera or Edwin Encarnacion. Payroll increase is coming. They have only two players signed beyond 2017."
In theory, it sounds great. Adding Cabrera to a lineup that already features Carlos Correa, George Springer and two-time American League batting champ Jose Altuve would give the Astros a dynamic top of the order, and let's be honest—it'd be fun to watch when they weren't facing your favorite team.
But Detroit isn't going to give Miggy away, and there's no way the Astros are agreeing to cough up the kind of package of young, controllable talent the Tigers would want in exchange. It's not crazy to think that package would have to start with top prospect Alex Bregman and include Lance McCullers as well.
That's not going to happen.
Making a spirited run at a free agent like Edwin Encarnacion or trading for New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News first reported as a possibility (h/t Morosi), are far more realistic pursuits for the Astros to chase.
Fact: Boston "Badly" Wants to Sign Carlos Beltran
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While much of the attention on filling David Ortiz's vacated designated hitter spot in Boston has been focused on free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion, there's another name that appears to be atop the team's wish list: Carlos Beltran.
"They want him badly" was how a major league source characterized Boston's interest in the 39-year-old slugger to ESPN.com's Scott Lauber, who added the length of a potential deal could be the only thing to give the Red Sox pause in their pursuit of the switch-hitter.
Signing Beltran instead of Encarnacion makes a lot of sense.
While both are battle-tested veterans with tons of experience in both the AL East and the playoffs, Encarnacion carries the added cost of a compensatory draft pick were he to sign with a team besides Toronto. Beltran has no such baggage.
Also, Beltran won't cost nearly as much financially or require as long of a commitment to sign. While we tend to think of Boston as one of those teams for which money is no object—and it usually isn't—it's easy to understand why it might prefer the shorter investment and prefer Beltran to Encarnacion.
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Fiction: Tampa Bay Will Trade Evan Longoria
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Tampa Bay's financial situation will always lend itself to trade speculation about the team's highest-paid talent. That includes third baseman Evan Longoria, the face of the franchise whose six-year, $100 million extension, which he signed in 2012, begins next season.
So it wasn't surprising to see Morosi report the Rays "will consider offers" for the three-time All-Star and former AL Rookie of the Year this offseason, naming the Los Angeles Dodgers as one potential suitor.
From a baseball perspective, dealing Longoria this winter makes a lot of sense. The 31-year-old is coming off his most productive season in years, having hit .273 with a career-high 36 home runs, 98 RBI and a .840 OPS, the first time he's recorded an OPS above .765 since 2013.
But Longoria's value to the Rays goes far beyond his impact on the field. He's Tampa Bay's version of Derek Jeter, the beloved homegrown superstar who, even when things aren't going well, fans will come out to see play.
OK, that last part might be a bit of a stretch in Tampa Bay, which draws about as well at home as a kickball tournament at your local park, but the point remains valid. Tampa Bay could never get equal value back in a deal, and the few loyal fans the team has would be up in arms over his departure.
The Rays might make some deals this winter, but none of them will include Longoria.
Fiction: Aroldis Chapman Will Get a $100 Million Deal
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It's good to dream—and dream big. But as our dreams grow in size, the likelihood of them ever becoming reality shrinks. Aroldis Chapman is about to learn that firsthand.
The free-agent closer is looking for a multiyear deal worth at least $100 million, an agent at the general manager meetings in Arizona told Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com. Were he the only high-profile free-agent closer available, maybe he'd have a chance of landing that kind of pact.
But in a market where he's joined by Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon as elite free-agent ninth-inning options? In a market where Wade Davis, David Robertson and others could be available in trades? Not a chance.
Make no mistake about it: Chapman is going to get paid handsomely this offseason. It's just not going to be that handsomely.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
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