MLB Trade Rumors: Power Ranking Every Team's Odds of Making a Large Deal
Every MLB team is looking to make one or two moves to improve their team before pitcher and catchers are expected to report. Even if deals don't get made before Spring Training, the groundwork can be laid for moves that will be made later in the year.
This list has been complied with consideration given to multiple criteria: coveted prospects, movable young talent, payroll flexibility, ability to contend and an unfixable hole in a team's roster.
30) San Francisco Giants
1 of 30
The defending World Champions simple do not have players to move. Outside of Brandon Belt, who is untouchable, the Giants do not have great prospects. The Giants can look to bring in players midseason, but a move likely will not be necessary.
If the Giants do anything, they will likely bring in a bench player. Look for this to be someone like Manny Ramirez who can help them in the short run and will not be expensive in a trade.
29) Florida Marlins
2 of 30
The Marlins certainly do have some talented young players that would help them move further up this list. The problem is these players are being used, rightfully so, to fill holes internally. Mike Stanton is going to be a stud and won't be moved. Neither will Matt Dominguez, Logan Morrison or Gaby Sanchez. The Marlins also have incredibly limited payroll flexibility which would prevent them from making any big moves.
A potential target for the Marlins would be a young, pre-arbitration eligible pitcher. The Marlins could look west to St. Petersburg to look to trade for a Rays pitcher such as Andy Sonnanstine.
28) Houston Astros
3 of 30
The Astros have the worst farm system in the major leagues. They do however have a very valuable trading piece in Jordan Lyles. He is one of the top pitchers in the minors. After Lyles, the Astros' system is practically barren. The team is also likely not willing to take on a big salary in a trade.
Since it appears likely they will use Brett Wallace as their first baseman, the Astros could use someone that can play third base. The team could target either Dayan Viciedo or Brett Morel of the White Sox. The Astros have the time to let either of those players play in the minors and could build a deal around Lyles.
.png?w=256)
27) Arizona Diamondbacks
4 of 30
The Diamondbacks have already made a big move this offseason by trading Mark Reynolds. It is unlikely the team will look to make a move to bring in any established players. The two best pieces of trade bait the Diamondbacks have are Jarrod Parker and Stephen Drew. Parker is an unknown at the moment since he is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will need to prove he is still an elite pitcher.
Look for the team to target younger players and prospects to aid in the rebuilding process. A potential target could be a player like Reese Havens of the New York Mets.
26) Oakland Athletics
5 of 30
The A's have some great names at the top of their farm system in Grant Green and Chris Carter. These are likely players the team will look to hold onto. The A's also tend to work with a limited payroll, and they are the team in which the "Moneyball" approach is based on.
The Athletics could use some help in their outfield. They could look to possibly acquire a player like Luke Scott to strengthen their team.
25) Washington Nationals
6 of 30
The Nationals have two of the best young players in baseball with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg.
They are two of the most hyped up baseball players in recent memory, and in their limited professional action, both have lived up to the hype. The Nationals will not be trading them, and the rest of the farm system is fairly weak. They just dealt three prospects for Tom Gorzelanny. They still do have players they could move in Danny Espinosa and Wilson Ramos. The Nationals are handicapped financial by their signing of Jayson Werth, but ownership has committed to spending more money.
Trading for a pitcher like Brett Myers could have the Nationals resolve some of the issues with their starting rotation.
24) Chicago White Sox
7 of 30
The White Sox have one of the weaker farm systems in baseball. Yes, I am aware they have Chris Sale, Brett Morel and Dayan Viceido. Beyond that, there really aren't any other prospects of note. The White Sox have one of the largest payrolls in the majors this season limiting the moves they can make.
The Sox could look to bring in Jonathan Papelbon if they decide to use Chris Sale as a starter.
23) Chicago Cubs
8 of 30
Even after the Matt Garza trade, the Cubs still have some prospects that would appeal to other teams. Brett Jackson, Trey McNutt and Jay Jackson all have a lot of potential. The Cubs have the ability financially to make a big move.
The Cubs could use a reason to finally move Kosuke Fukudome to the bench for good. An intriguing trade target for the Cubs could be someone like Jason Kubel.
22) Seattle Mariners
9 of 30
The Mariners are a team that is built to contend in a few year. Since that is the case, the team will look to keep all of its top prospects. The Mariners will instead look to deal away some of their established players like Franklin Gutierrez to bring back prospects.
The Mariners could look to the Orioles to bring in young pitching prospects like Chris Tillman in order to strengthen their rotation for the future.
21) Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
The Tigers have a nice surplus of young pitching prospects with Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby and Daniel Schlereth in their system. It is likely that one of these pitchers could be moved in a deal to improve the major league team.
A potential solution to the Tigers problem at catcher could be J.P. Arencibia of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays just traded for Mike Napoli which could make Arencibia expendable.
20) Baltimore Orioles
11 of 30
The Orioles are yet another team loaded with young pitching prospects. It appears that none of these players, Brian Matsuz, Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta, will be going anywhere soon. The O's could look to move aging second baseman Brian Roberts this season.
If Roberts is moved, the O's could look to bring back young infield help. A possible target is Kila Ka'aihue.
19) Pittsburgh Pirates
12 of 30
The Pirates are one of the younger teams in the major leagues. They were also one of the worst teams in the majors last season. The team will look to move older players this year in an attempt to bring back younger players. Ryan Doumit comes to mind as a trade option, and Joel Hanrahan has a lot of value.
If the Pirates do deal Hanrahan, they may be able to get back a solid young pitcher such as Matt Harrison.
18) Los Angeles Angels
13 of 30
With their recent deal for Vernon Wells, it appears the Angles have finished making moves this offseason. If they find themselves in a race for first place in the AL West this summer, then the Angels could look to make a move at the trade deadline.
The Angels currently have a hole at third base. They are looking to resolve this issue internally, but that may not work out. Casey Blake could be an option to fill this hole.
17) Los Angeles Dodgers
14 of 30
It has become evident that Frank McCourt's financial situation hurts the Dodgers chances of bringing in any expensive players this year. The Dodgers will might look to trade away some players with big deals if their owner's financial situation worsens.
One name that will likely pop up in trade talks is Hiroki Kuroda. The Dodgers will likely want a young, cheap player like Brett Lawrie in return.
16) San Diego Padres
15 of 30
Trading Adrian Gonzalez provided a big boost to the Padres farm system. The Padres added two players, Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo, who are now ranked in their list of top ten prospects.
The Padres are hoping they can compete this year even after trading away their star. They are hoping Kyle Blanks can fill in for Gonzalez. The Padres could also go after James Loney and use Blanks in the outfield.
15) Colorado Rockies
16 of 30
The Rockies are one of the teams have a chance to win the NL West next season. A big key to this is Carlos Gonzalez. The Rockies will need some help at the back end of their rotation if they expect to make the playoffs next season.
Wandy Rodriguez would make a good option for the Rockies. He would be expensive, however, possibly costing the Rockies one of their top prospects such as Tyler Matzek.
14) Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
The Twins have one of the deepest farm systems in the major leagues. They have the talent to make a move with players like Ben Revere and Aaron Hicks, but it may be unnecessary. The Twins were the AL Central champions last year.
If the Twins want to make a championship push, they could look to bring in Jose Reyes. He would cost the Twins some of their top prospects, but Reyes could help deliver a championship to Minnesota.
13) New York Yankees
18 of 30
Many people might be surprised to see the Yankees ranked at No. 13 on this list. It seems they always have the ability to make a big move. The Yankees decisions will come based on how they preform in the division come midseason.
There has been talk that Joba Chamberlain may be traded. Jesus Montero has also been linked to numerous trade rumors. If the Yankees make a move, it will be big. They could look to bring in someone like Chris Carpenter to fill any holes they have in their rotation.
12) Cincinnati Reds
19 of 30
The Reds have a few players who are blocked positionally. Yonder Alonso is blocked by reigning NL MVP Joey Votto, and the Reds also have a lot of competition for a spot in the back end of their rotation. It would not be surprising to see Alonso moved to bring in someone to help with the playoff push.
The Reds could use a strong third outfielder. Matt Kemp could be an option for the Reds, and Yonder Alonso would be a great fit at first base for the Dodgers.
11) Toronto Blue Jays
20 of 30
Toronto is a team that has improved significantly over the past few years. Even though they reached 85 wins last season, it was only good enough for fourth place in the AL East. If the Blue Jays are going to want to vie for the Wild Card spot, then they are going to need to make a trade. They have the pieces to do this since they have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball.
The Jays are an offensive juggernaut, but they need to improve their starting rotation. Rickey Nolasco could be put on the block by the Marlins if they struggle again, and he would be a great fit in Toronto.
10) Boston Red Sox
21 of 30
Jacoby Ellsbury's name has been linked to trade rumors for the past two years. The Red Sox may finally make the decision to move Ellsbury, especially if they believe Ryan Kalish is ready to play everyday. Daisuke Matsuzaka's name has also come up in trade rumors. He could be on the move as well.
A strong fit for the Red Sox is Jose Reyes. He was linked to the Sox this winter, but nothing came about. There is a possibility these talks can reopen around the trade deadline.
9) Philadelphia Phillies
22 of 30
At the current moment, there is no need for the Phillies to make a move. They have one of the best pitching staffs the MLB has seen in years. They are also very strong offensive. The one spot where a move could potentially be made is if Dominic Brown struggles in the majors. The Phillies are gearing up for another World Series run and may need to make a midseason trade for an outfield.
The Phillies definitely have the prospects available to get a deal done. Jonathan Singleton and Jared Cosart would appeal to many teams. Magglio Ordonez could provide a great presence in for the Phillies if they were to make a move for him at the trade deadline.
8) Cleveland Indians
23 of 30
Fausto Carmona is a very intriguing player to many teams. The Indians may finally decide to trade him this season. There have been multiple trade rumors in which Carmona's name has come up.
The Indians have multiple positions where they could use improvement. The Indians could try to trade for Stephen Drew who has the ability to help them both now and in the future.
7) St. Louis Cardinals
24 of 30
Colby Rasmus was thought to be on his way out of town as a result of his tension with manager Tony LaRussa. Those reports have later been denied, but there may be more truth to this situation than people actually believe. The Cardinals could look to move Rasmus if they decide he doesn't exactly fit into their future plans.
If they trade a solid young player like Colby Rasmus, the Cardinals should expect a lot in return. I've mentioned this name a few other times already, but this is yet another location where Jose Reyes would be a great fit.
6) Kansas City Royals
25 of 30
Far and away, the Royals have the best farm system in the major leagues. The system got even better when they traded Zack Greinke. They have the option of letting their top players develop or trading them away for more established young talent. Billy Butler could be on the move as could Alex Gordon. The Royals could trade a pitcher like Danny Duffy.
The Royals actually have the talent to trade for a player like Jason Heyward or Buster Posey, but that would never happen. Realistic options include someone like Kevin Slowey who could become an anchor for the Royals rotation for a few years.
5) Tampa Bay Rays
26 of 30
The Rays have more young pitchers than they know what to do with. Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Jake McGee, Chris Archer and Alex Colome are all a part of the Rays system. There is no way that all of these players can fit into the Rays future plans.
The Rays will be trying to find a way to keep up with the Red Sox and Yankees this year. The Rays could try to make a move for Jose Bautista to bring some more power to their lineup.
4) Texas Rangers
27 of 30
After reaching the World Series last year, the Rangers will be looking for a way to get back and win it. With an incredibly talented farm system, the Rangers could make a trade to try to make that goal happen.
If the Rangers decide to keep Neftali Feliz in the bullpen this season, then they will be looking for a starting pitcher. The Rangers would look for a solid No. 2 pitcher, and Chad Billingsley would be a great option.
3) Atlanta Braves
28 of 30
The Braves are trying to regain the spot as the top team in the NL East from the Phillies. They likely need to pick up an outfielder to make that happen. The Braves have some pitching prospects such as Mike Minor, and Randall Delgado who could become available.
Shin-Soo Choo would be a great fit for the Braves. He would be expensive, but the Braves have the talent to bring him in, and Cleveland may be willing to trade him if they can bring back prospects to help with their rebuilding effort.
2) Milwaukee Brewers
29 of 30
It has been said that now that the Brewers have Zack Greinke, they have no reason to trade Prince Fielder. If we approach midseason and the Brewers are falling behind in the standings, Fielder could be out of Milwaukee. This is a plausible scenario as the Brewers need to compete with the Reds, Cardinals and Cubs within their own division.
If Fielder is traded, the Brewers should expect a large prospect haul. The Rays could try to make a move for Fielder. The Brewers could look to bring back Matt Moore in addition to a few more Rays' prospects.
1) New York Mets
30 of 30
Almost every other big move that I have discussed involves teams acquiring players. That would not be the case for the Mets. It appears the team is in for yet another long season this year. There was a reason why Jose Reyes was listed as a trade target numerous times on this list. He is a top shortstop, and there has been rumblings he may not fit into the Mets future plans and could be traded. The Mets may also look to trade Carlos Beltran during the course of the year if they believe they are out of contention.
By trading two of the better players in baseball, the Mets should get a big prospect haul. I could see the Mets bring back a package similar to something like Jean Segura, Brandon Wood and Fabio Martinez Mesa in a deal involving Reyes.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
