MLB Trade Rumors: 10 Moves for Teams to Make in Order to Save Face
This past MLB offseason has been fraught with exciting free-agent signings and big-time trades, highlighted by the movement of Adrian Gonzalez, Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee, but it has mostly been a "rich get richer" type of deal.
There are still quite a few mediocre teams out there, however, that could make a move in the coming weeks or during the season that would give them a shot at competing for the title.
There are a few key players who could end up being on the move at any point in the next seven months, and they could be the key to a playoff run by certain teams.
Not everyone out there has the capabilities of turning over from a subpar season a year ago to winning 90 games, but there are a select few that could turn their fortunes around.
With some skilled planning—and a bit of luck—there are teams who could end up in the playoffs this season after failing miserably a season ago.
Wit that, here are 10 teams and the players they could acquire to give them the ammunition needed for a possible playoff push.
Note: There hasn't been much chatter about most of these trades happening. They are mostly speculative and hypothetical.
10. Seth Smith to the Los Angeles Angels
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A season ago, the Los Angeles Angels finished two games below .500, a far cry from their 97-win season from a year prior.
They were a decent team all around, with decent starting pitching and mediocre hitting, but they did nothing exceptionally well.
Adding Seth Smith would add a player who could pretty easily fit into their roster and play any outfield position, as they jostle around to decide whether he would play left or center and move Torii Hunter back to center field.
It would give them a guy who can hit for average when he is on form and get on base at will, as he is an exceptionally patient hitter.
He would also do nothing to hurt their defense, as he is an above-average outfielder who can do well at any outfield position.
If Colorado were to start out rocky (pun definitely intended), then there is a good chance that they would be willing to deal Smith before he is arbitration-eligible to get the maximum out of a trade for him, as they have many electrifying outfielders and young players buried in the farm system.
9. Joe Blanton to the Florida Marlins
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The Florida Marlins have a lot of good young players that are looking to put together a good season for the team this year.
Their biggest hole, however, lies in their starting pitching, as after Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, they don't have anyone who instills a lot of confidence.
Joe Blanton may not be one of the big-name pitchers out in the league, but he is a solid starter who can do a lot for a team as its No. 3 guy.
He is a guy that can help a team that was on a winning streak continue on that roll.
Blanton would give the Marlins a solid third guy in the rotation, and that would take the pressure off the younger players in the rotation, as well as Javier Vazquez, who has absolutely no confidence after being ridiculed in New York for a season.
He may not be the guy to put them over the top, but Blanton could end up being the piece to finish the puzzle for the Marlins.
8. Rickie Weeks to the Oakland A's
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Most of the Milwaukee Brewers' eggs are in this season's basket, and if they somehow break during the course of the season, they will start trading players around the All-Star break.
If, for some reason, Milwaukee's Zack Greinke experiment were to not work out, then Weeks and Prince Fielder would be at the top of the list to be traded.
Weeks is a magnificent slugger who can hit for average and steal some bases while he is at it, while playing decent defense.
He would fit right into the A's lineup, as their second base hole is currently held by Mark Ellis, who can also play shortstop.
Weeks would be joining a team that needs some offensive help but is pretty solid as far as pitching goes, so it would help them out where they need it most.
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7. Heath Bell to the Chicago White Sox
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This offseason, the White Sox lost Bobby Jenks to the Boston Red Sox, who swooped up every good free agent that came into their sights.
That leaves Chris Sale and a host of other undistinguished relievers to battle for the newly opened closer role.
If nobody steps to the front of that pack, there is a good chance that Heath Bell, who is in the final year of his contract for a mediocre San Diego team, would be available.
Bell would come in and immediately become the closer for a team that is pretty solid all the way through except for their bullpen.
He has had 40 saves in each of the past two seasons and last year posted an ERA of under 2.00.
Bell would step in and allow the young guys that are vying for the closer spot to get more experience in the bullpen, rather than jumping right into the ninth inning role.
6. Billy Butler to the San Diego Padres
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Remember a slide ago where I said the Padres are likely to be a mediocre team this season? Well, if it ends up going in the opposite direction, there is every chance that they will need some help at the plate.
They scored only 665 runs last season and lost their best hitter, Adrian Gonzalez, after they traded him to the Boston Red Sox.
Billy Butler is on a Kansas City team that is almost destined to fight with the Indians for last place in the AL Central, so it is entirely possible that they sell him off this season.
Butler hit .318 a season ago and hit 15 home runs while ranking as one of the top five doubles hitters in each of the past two years.
He would come in and be an immediate impact player in the middle of their lineup and help them to overcome the powerful pitching in their division.
5. Fausto Carmona to the Toronto Blue Jays
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Remember a slide ago when I said that the Indians are going to be fighting for the basement of the AL Central? Yeah, well, that still stands here—nothing is changing there.
Currently, Carmona is garnering endless trade interest around the league, and it's looking like teams are trying to convince the Indians to part with him.
They have traded CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee in the past, although they were closer to the end of their contracts, so it is not an impossibility to think that they would part ways with the big righty.
Toronto had a bottom-of-the-league ERA last season, and they are looking to improve that as their young pitchers emerge into the majors as full-time starters.
If they would like a guy to anchor their staff, however, in order to take some of the pressure off guys such as Kyle Drabek and Brett Cecil, then Carmona could be a great option.
With improved pitching to go along with their suddenly terrific hitting, it wouldn't be too far off to think that they could possibly compete with the Yankees and Red Sox for the AL East crown or the AL Wild Card spot.
4. Albert Pujols to the Baltimore Orioles
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I put this one No. 4 instead of No. 1 just because of the improbability of it.
If the Cardinals end up deciding to trade the best player of the past decade with the team floundering and no extension on the table, it is unlikely that the Orioles would be the front runner to trade for him.
It would, however, make baseball relevant in Baltimore, something that hasn't happened since the days of Cal Ripken Jr.
Albert Pujols, teamed with the young pitching staff that the Orioles boast, which seems to be on the verge of a major breakthrough, would be enough to at least scare the other teams in the division.
It would give the Orioles corner infielders who could jack the ball out of the yard at any given moment and possibly turn their lineup into one that makes people quiver a bit, rather than giggle.
3. Carlos Lee to the Chicago Cubs
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The Chicago Cubs find themselves in a precarious position in the NL Central this year, as the only team that they know they are better than is the Houston Astros.
It isn't clear how the season is going to pan out for that division, and the Cubs could very well end up being a pretty good team as the year goes along.
One thing they could to do put themselves in the conversation for the division is make a move for El Caballo, who would give them another power hitter in their lineup.
Lee would give them a guy who could hit 30 home runs in a good season, along with driving in 100 runs and batting over .270.
He could turn their offense into something that could overpower a pitching staff that can be shaky at times but, with a little confidence, could be good enough to fight for a playoff spot.
2. Magglio Ordonez to the New York Mets
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With a move to acquire Magglio Ordonez from what could be a struggling Detroit Tigers team in the middle of the season, the Mets could end up in the hunt for a playoff spot.
They would be getting another high-profile player, which they have become fond of signing or trading for, and would shore up their offense to a point where their lineup would become downright nasty.
Maggs could take over in center field for Carlos Beltran, who looks to be on his way out in New York, or he could take over for Jason Bay, who could easily move to first base.
The Mets scored only 656 runs last year, good for 24th in the majors, and hit 128 home runs, also 24th in the majors.
Making a move for Ordonez would give them a hitter who will hit .300 in a down year and will threaten 20 to 25 home runs.
1. Prince Fielder to the Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Dodgers were in the bottom half of the majors in most offensive categories a season ago and finished two games under .500 and 12 games back of the first-place Giants.
They need a good impact hitter and some company stability to go along with the good starting pitching that they currently have on the team, and Prince Fielder would give them the impact hitter half of that scenario.
If the Brewers do end up struggling, you'd better bet that Fielder is on his way out the door, as they only signed him to a one-year extension during the offseason.
Fielder would be shipped out to LA for a handful of prospects and a young player or two, and the Dodgers would have their impact hitter.
Upon acquiring Fielder, they could move James Loney to left field, where they don't have a definite starter at the moment, and would have very few weaknesses in their lineup.
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