MLB Trade Rumors: Zack Greinke And 15 Players Who Need To Move
With the MLB winter meetings well under way, many trades and signings have already happened. The Boston Red Sox have been particularly active, trading for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and signing outfielder Carl Crawford.
The biggest prize on the market remains Cliff Lee, but it seems like a two-team race between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees to get his services.
But, there are still plenty of free agents out there who could benefit from a change of scenery. Then, there are those who have already signed deals this offseason who shouldn't have.
Here are 15 players who need to be moved before the start of the 2011 MLB season.
15. Jayson Werth
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Yes, Werth just signed a huge deal with the Washington Nationals, but it was still a bad place for him to sign.
The Nats lost Adam Dunn, Stephen Strasburg probably won't pitch in 2011 and the offense is a mess besides Ryan Zimmerman.
Werth will regret signing the mega-deal about halfway through the 2011 season.
14. Mark Reynolds
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Reynolds was traded to the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week in a move that was puzzling to me.
Yes, the Orioles need to get better and yes, Reynolds hits for power, but he strikes out more than any other hitter in major league history.
That's not going to change in the American League. If anything, he's going to strike out more this year.
13. Felix Hernandez
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Hernandez is coming off of an impressive Cy Young campaign, but he only managed to go 13-12 in 34 starts last season.
Imagine what he could do if he had an actual offense helping him out.
Or, better yet, imagine what he could do pitching in the National League.
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12. Barry Zito
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The Barry Zito era in San Francisco just hasn't worked out the way it was supposed to.
In fact, Zito was left off the Giants' playoff roster during their recent World Series run.
That likely makes the relationship between the team and player beyond repair. It's time for Zito to go.
11. Grady Sizemore
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The Cleveland Indians are going nowhere fast, and it's starting to take a toll on their star center fielder.
He's been struggling through a couple of subpar seasons.
The Indians seem to trade all their other good players, so they might as well see what they can get for Sizemore.
10. Prince Fielder
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Prince Fielder to the Los Angeles Angels makes the most sense for the Angels now.
After losing to the Red Sox in the Carl Crawford sweepstakes, it probably makes sense for the Angels to add a power hitting first baseman and target a mid-level starter like Carl Pavano.
It would be interesting to see what sort of package the Angels would offer the Brewers.
9. Javier Vazquez
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Javier Vazquez signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Florida Marlins. He really needed to get as far away from the Yankees as he could.
I bet he wishes he can go back to the Atlanta Braves to try and replicate his 2009 form.
He probably needs to head away from the East Coast altogether though.
8. Carlos Zambrano
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Zambrano has pretty much worn out his welcome in Chicago.
Chicago fans have grown weary of his constant outbursts and temper tantrums.
It's time for him to head to a smaller market team where the media won't constantly get under his skin after his outbursts.
7. Heath Bell
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The loss of Adrian Gonzalez means the Padres aren't going to repeat last year's success this year.
Therefore, they might as well get rid of Heath Bell, a dynamic closer who probably won't be around long enough to play through another rebuilding process.
The Padres could get a couple good minor league players for Bell, a guy who could help push a contender all the way to the top.
6. Jose Reyes
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Reyes is apparently on the trading block in New York.
This is confusing to me because, when healthy, Reyes is one of the more dynamic players in baseball.
If a team can land Reyes and keep him healthy, they'll reap the benefits for years to come.
5. Bobby Jenks
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Matt Thornton has earned the closer role in Chicago. He's outperformed Jenks for a couple years now, but manager Ozzie Guillen hasn't made the move on a permanent basis yet.
It's time for management to step in and ship Jenks to another team to force Thornton to be the closer.
Jenks might be able to regain his form elsewhere, but it's not going to happen in Chicago.
4. Colby Rasmus
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I love Tony La Russa. He's a great manager and knows how to win. But, I don't understand his interactions with players sometimes.
He got Scott Rolen shipped out of town and the Cardinals haven't had a consistent third baseman since.
Now he's set his sights on Colby Rasmus, the young center fielder.
Rasmus needs to get out of St. Louis before La Russa's mind games start to negatively affect his career.
3. Justin Upton
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Justin Upton has the potential to be a five-tool player.
But, right now, he's toiling away in the desert with a team that's going nowhere and recently traded Mark Reynolds, their best power hitter.
That leaves Upton as the only real threat in the Diamondbacks' batting order.
Trading him could bring in two or three top-notch prospects who could be ready to contribute in a couple years when Arizona is ready to be competitive again.
2. Jonathan Papelbon
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The Red Sox are apparently trying to destroy whatever confidence Jon Papelbon may have had left after the worst season of his career.
They offered Mariano Rivera a ton of money to come be their closer. Now, since that fell through, many are calling for Daniel Bard to take over the closer role.
Papelbon would be an upgrade at closer for a lot of teams in Major League Baseball, so maybe the Sox should see what they can get for him.
1. Zack Greinke
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The Royals have acquired Jeff Francouer and are close to acquiring Melky Cabrera.
What does that mean? It means it's going to be another long summer in Kansas City.
Whatever problems the Royals have, the two mediocre outfielders aren't going to solve them.
The Royals would be smart to get rid of Zack Greinke for several decent prospects who might be able to help if the annual rebuilding of the team ever actually gains momentum.
It's only a matter of time before the recent Cy Young winner has an implosion in K.C. It's time for him to fully realize his potential as a member of a playoff-contending team.
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