MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Offseason Week 7 News, Rumors and Speculation
While some MLB teams are taking a wait-and-see approach as they ponder making a run at some of the more high-profile free agents who remain unsigned—a list that includes Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Trumbo—others are busy working the phones in an attempt to bolster their rosters via trades.
There's been plenty of chatter on the rumor mill since baseball's annual winter meetings came to an end. Unsurprisingly, much of that talk has revolved around pitching, both starters and relievers.
What follows is a look at potential trades involving some of those arms, including an All-Star closer. Keep in mind these proposed deals are only ideas and speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication any of them have been discussed.
Justin Wilson Gets Traded to the Cubs
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Chicago Gets: LHP Justin Wilson
Detroit Gets: C P.J. Higgins and IF Chesny Young
The Rumor/Speculation
The Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers have discussed a potential Justin Wilson trade, MLB Network's Jon Morosi tweeted, though it remains unclear how far those talks progressed.
Why It Makes Sense for the Cubs
With Mike Montgomery slotted for the rotation and Travis Wood a free agent, Chicago needs an experienced left-handed reliever in its bullpen. Wilson fits that profile.
The 29-year-old pitched to a 4.14 ERA over 58.2 innings of relief for Detroit last season, walking 17 and striking out 65. He was the victim of some bad luck, as the opposition posted a .340 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) against him, nearly 50 points higher than his career .293 mark.
Wilson has historically been tough against batters from both sides of the plate and boasts a solid 3.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over the course of his five-year career. Under team control through 2019, he's going to cost the Cubs more in prospects than his 2016 numbers would seem to indicate.
Why It Makes Sense for the Tigers
While Wilson is a big part of Detroit's bullpen, the Tigers can't afford to pass up the chance to add potential long-term solutions at both catcher and second base.
Neither P.J. Higgins nor Chesny Young is close to contributing in the majors, but the pair have a chance to develop into solid everyday players down the road.
Higgins, 23, lacks power and is still a work in progress defensively, but he has a strong, accurate throwing arm and a solid approach at the plate that allows him to make consistent contact.
Young, 24, laces line drives around the field and has a terrific batting eye, but like Higgins, he lacks any significant power. He also lacks the arm strength to play on the left side of the infield but is solid enough defensively to stick at the keystone.
Danny Duffy Gets Traded to the Houston Astros
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Houston Gets: LHP Danny Duffy
Kansas City Gets: OF Jake Marisnick and RHP Joe Musgrove
The Rumor/Speculation
MLB.com's Brian McTaggart lists the Kansas City Royals' Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura as two of the pitchers whom Houston has targeted as the Astros try to bolster their rotation.
Why It Makes Sense for the Astros
While Houston has bolstered its lineup by adding Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick, career journeyman Charlie Morton is the only notable addition the Astros have made to their pitching staff. With all due respect to Morton, he's not the kind of difference-maker the team needs in its rotation.
Danny Duffy is.
After years of bouncing between the bullpen and rotation in Kansas City, the 27-year-old southpaw finally established himself as a reliable starter in 2016, going 12-3 with a 3.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 4.51 strikeout-to-walk rate over 26 starts.
He'd also bring some balance to an Astros rotation that features only one left-handed starter, staff ace Dallas Keuchel.
To be sure, Duffy isn't perfect. He allowed 27 home runs last year—all but one to right-handed hitters—and is only under team control through 2017. But with slim pickings in free agency and high prices being paid for true front-of-the-rotation arms, this is a sensible move that could pay big dividends.
Why It Makes Sense for the Royals
Kansas City essentially trades one year of its ace for multiple years of two talented youngsters, both of whom would fill significant roles for the Royals in 2017 and beyond.
The centerpiece of the package heading to K.C. is 24-year-old Joe Musgrove, a 6'5", 265-pound right-handed hurler who posted respectable numbers (11 G, 10 GS, 4-4, 4.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) in his first taste of the big leagues last season.
Musgrove has all the makings of a durable, reliable, innings-eating No. 3 starter, though his stuff and command is good enough—and he's still young enough—that it's not out of the question to think he could develop into a No. 2 starter down the road.
It feels like Jake Marisnick has been around forever, going back to his days as a highly touted prospect with Toronto who was part of the blockbuster 12-player trade between the Blue Jays and Marlins back in 2012—also known as Miami's last fire sale.
While he's struggled to hit consistently—both his career .225 batting average and .607 OPS are cringeworthy—Marisnick is only 25 years old, so his bat still has time to come around. But his speed plays, as he's swiped 48 bases in 66 attempts, and he's still got his defensive chops, grading out as an above-average defender at all three outfield positions.
Basically, he's a younger, controllable version of Jarrod Dyson. Speaking of Dyson...
Jarrod Dyson Gets Traded to the A's
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Kansas City Gets: RHP Daniel Gossett
Oakland Gets: OF Jarrod Dyson
The Rumor/Speculation
Kansas City's Jarrod Dyson is drawing interest from a number of teams—including the Oakland A's—according to FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle heard that the Royals have interest in some of the A's young pitching, though she doesn't believe their best young arms will be in play.
Why It Makes Sense for the Royals
As was the case in the previously proposed deal, Kansas City swaps a player who can become a free agent after the 2017 season for one who comes with multiple years of team control.
Daniel Gossett broke out in his second full season out of Clemson, going a combined 10-6 with a 2.69 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 151 strikeouts over 153.2 innings of work across three minor league levels.
The 24-year-old isn't a future ace, but he has a four-pitch arsenal that includes a low-90s fastball he can dial up to 95 mph and a wipeout curve, both plus offerings. He'll need some fine-tuning at Triple-A to start 2017 but should be ready to contribute by midseason.
Why It Makes Sense for the A's
Dyson fills two needs for Oakland—a center fielder and a leadoff hitter.
Dyson hit .278 with a .340 on-base percentage and .728 OPS in limited playing time for the Royals in 2016. Those numbers would be a significant improvement over the production Oakland got from its center fielders (.235 BA, .295 OBP, .619 OPS) and leadoff hitters (.242 BA, .289 OBP, .642 OPS) last year.
More importantly, Dyson brings his customary blend of game-changing speed (30-for-37 in stolen base attempts) and terrific defense at all three outfield positions to the A's, the latter of which will be vitally important as the team looks to bring along a young, talented group of starting pitchers.
Knowing that he has a big-time defender playing behind him can go a long way toward helping to build a young hurler's confidence.
The seven-year veteran isn't going to command a hefty salary as he enters his final year of arbitration, something that's always important for a financially limited team like the A's.
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Alex Colome Gets Traded to the Nationals
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Tampa Bay Gets: RHPs Erick Fedde and Koda Glover, OFs Juan Soto and Andrew Stevenson
Washington Gets: RHP Alex Colome
The Rumor/Speculation
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted that Tampa Bay has set an "appropriately high" price on closer Alex Colome, whom the Rays have received multiple inquiries on. The Washington Nationals, according to Morosi, have had recent discussions with the Rays about a potential Colome trade.
Why It Makes Sense for the Rays
With four years of team control left, Colome isn't close to becoming too expensive for Tampa Bay to keep around. But the chance to add four controllable youngsters with significant upside—including a pair who are ready to contribute in 2017—is one that the Rays can't afford to pass up.
Erick Fedde, 23, has the stuff and command teams look for in a front-of-the-rotation arm. He posted strong numbers in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, going 8-5 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 121 innings across two minor league levels, walking 29 and striking out 123.
Koda Glover didn't look great in his first taste of the majors last season, pitching to a 5.03 ERA over 19.2 innings of relief, but the 23-year-old attacks hitters with a mid-90s fastball and nasty slider. He has the makeup to become a late-inning force at the back of Tampa Bay's bullpen.
Neither Juan Soto, 18, nor Andrew Stevenson, 22, is ready to help the Rays in 2017, but both offer significant upside and could very well comprise two-thirds of the team's future outfield configuration. Soto has more pop in his bat, while Stevenson's speed and defense are his loudest tools.
Why It Makes Sense for the Nationals
After missing out on Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon, Washington is in dire need of a closer. Rather than trade for a stopgap option like David Robertson, the Nationals add a long-term solution in Colome, who will be entering his age-28 season.
While he doesn't have a lengthy track record of success in the ninth inning—last season was his first as a closer—Colome was awfully impressive. He pitched to a 1.91 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 15 walks and 71 strikeouts while converting 37 of 40 save opportunities and making his first All-Star appearance.
Drew Smyly Gets Traded to the Mariners
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Seattle Gets: LHP Drew Smyly
Tampa Bay Gets: RHP Dan Altavilla and OF Mitch Haniger
The Rumor/Speculation
The Seattle Mariners have been in touch with both the Cincinnati Reds and Rays in their search for rotation help, Morosi tweeted. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times recently wrote that the Rays are more likely to deal Alex Cobb, Erasmo Ramirez or Drew Smyly than they are Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi.
Why It Makes Sense for the Mariners
If you're a believer in WAR (wins above replacement), then Smyly would be as valuable an addition to Seattle's rotation as his more highly regarded rotation-mate Odorizzi, as both posted a WAR of 2.0 in 2016, per FanGraphs.
But the 27-year-old southpaw won't cost nearly as much to acquire as his right-handed counterpart, as he's coming off a 7-12 season that saw him pitch to a 4.88 ERA and allow 32 home runs despite posting strong walk and strikeout rates over a career-high 175.1 innings of work.
He's not an ace by any stretch, but Smyly would give the Mariners options at the back end of their rotation, with either former Rays hurler Nathan Karns or Ariel Miranda the odd man out. Were Miranda to make the cut, Seattle would have three left-handed starters in Miranda, Smyly and James Paxton.
Under team control through 2018, Smyly is more than a one-year rental for Seattle and will require the club to part with two quality prospects, including outfielder Mitch Haniger, whom the team acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Taijuan Walker trade in November.
Why It Makes Sense for the Rays
Tampa Bay picks up a pair of controllable prospects who are ready to contribute in Dan Altavilla and Haniger.
Altavilla, 24, was impressive in his first taste of the majors last season, tossing 12.1 innings of one-run ball with one walk and 10 strikeouts, though he did allow 11 hits in the process. A converted starter, the right-hander has the fastball/slider combination that screams impact late-inning reliever.
Haniger generates solid pop in his right-handed bat thanks to excellent bat speed and has the arm strength necessary to stick in right field. The 25-year-old's floor is that of a solid fourth outfielder, but with regular playing time, he has a chance to develop into a quality option in a corner spot.
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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