MLB Trade Speculation: 1 Asset Each Team Should Hold Onto Until July
From the offseason into spring training and then onto the regular season, there is no shortage of trade rumors when it comes to the MLB.
When the trade deadline rolls around, teams need to make the choice whether they are going to be buyers or sellers come July, and the decisions that are made can help decide a pennant or help a team build what could be a future pennant winner.
However, while the early season trade is always an intriguing option, sometimes holding onto a player until the trade deadline is the best way to make the most of a player's trade value and get the most out of a deal.
Here is one player on each team who would be best to hold onto until the trade deadline.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Justin Upton
1 of 30
Since this past offseason, Upton’s name has been brought up in trade rumors off and on, and while the Diamondbacks have said he is not on the mark, if the right offer came along, they could certainly be persuaded.
As a rebuilding team, Upton could fetch the Diamondbacks two or three solid pieces moving forward, and although he is still one of the game’s most promising young players, he is coming off a down year and may never reach the heights that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Dealing him at the deadline could help the Diamondbacks take a big step in rebuilding.
Atlanta Braves: Mike Minor/Brandon Beachy
2 of 30
The Braves are a team built to win now, and while they have plenty of competition in their own division in the National League favorite Phillies, they could be one big move away from making a playoff run.
Offensively, the biggest hole is obviously in center field where Nate McLouth has been a big disappointment, and there are some attractive options that could become available such as Grady Sizemore and Carlos Beltran.
However, they are both injury questions and would almost certainly cost one of the Braves' young arms, so if they choose to make that move, they would be wise to wait and see if they are healthy.
Baltimore Orioles: Jeremy Guthrie
3 of 30
Guthrie, who has been the ace of the Orioles staff somewhat by default the past few seasons, has been the subject of trade rumors over the past year, and as the Orioles young starters continue to emerge, he could be less and less integral in the Orioles staff.
There are a handful of good starting pitchers who should be made available by mid-season, but if the Orioles play their cards right and hold onto Guthrie until right at the deadline, the teams who missed out on the big names could over pay for a consolation prize such as Guthrie, and the Orioles could come out ahead.
Boston RedSox: Jose Iglesias
4 of 30
The Red Sox young shortstop prospect has drawn comparisons to another former Red Sox farm hand in Hanley Ramirez, and with the hot start of Jed Lowrie, the Red Sox could look to include Iglesias in any major moves they look to make to shore up their pitching or otherwise.
However, Lowrie’s hot start is a small sample size and not quite worth giving him the long term job at this point.
While Josh Beckett has been good and Mike Lowell was key in the World Series runs, I’m sure, given the chance today, the Red Sox may rethink moving Ramirez in that deal, and they would not want to make the same mistake twice if Lowrie’s hot start is in fact an aberration.
Chicago Cubs: Alfonso Soriano
5 of 30
The Cubs gave up a good deal to get Matt Garza this past offseason, dealing their top overall prospect in starter Chris Archer, as well as minor league player of the year Brandon Guyer. Their minor league system is obviously not as strong as it once was, and they could look to restock it with some trades.
Soriano is on a tear to open the season, after largely being a disappointment to this point in his Cubs career. That said, the Cubs may be tempted to jump on any offer that could shed some of the $54 million that he is still owed from 2012-2014, but they would be wise to hold on and see if his turnaround is for real.
The longer he produces, the more teams may be willing to part with to get him, or they could choose to hold onto him.
Chicago White Sox: Edwin Jackson
6 of 30
With top prospect Chris Sale waiting in the wings in the bullpen, the White Sox could look to deal one of their five starters at some point this season, and both Jackson and Mark Buehrle are in the final year of their current deals.
Chances are the team will hold onto Buehrle as he is a veteran leader, and the team is looking to make some noise in the postseason.
However, Jackson will be an attractive option if he goes on the trade block, and with starting pitching, it seems like the longer you wait to deal them, the more desperate a playoff contender in need of pitching is to acquire them. The White Sox could take a step towards restocking their farm system if they deal Jackson later rather than sooner.
Cincinnati Reds: Chris Heisey
7 of 30
The Reds had a pair of solid young outfielders come up last season in Drew Stubbs and Chris Heisey, and Stubbs emerged as the top choice rather quickly and has solidified the center field position, joining Johnny Gomes and Jay Bruce in the Reds outfield.
That has left Heisey as the fourth outfielder, and he is off to a nice start in that role this season. The Reds could use a better option at shortstop and perhaps another starter if they want to make a run at the NL Central again, but they'd be wise to hold onto Heisey unless it is absolutely necessary to pull off a deadline deal.
Cleveland Indians: Fausto Carmona
8 of 30
While the Indians are off to a hot start this season, their pitching suggests that they will not be able to continue this torrid pace, and chances are by the time the deadline rolls around they will be sellers as opposed to buyers.
Grady Sizemore and Carmona are two names that have consistently been thrown around in trade rumors, and both will be free agents at season’s end. Since Sizemore’s health is always a big question, they would be wise to deal him whenever the right offer comes along.
As for Carmona, he could fetch an attractive package of prospects if the Indians wait until the deadline and someone like the Yankees is in need of a starter.
Colorado Rockies: Wilin Rosario
9 of 30
The Rockies are off to a terrific start at 13-5, but if they want to be long-term contenders they will need to add another arm to what is an unproven rotation, even with Ubaldo Jimenez returning from injury.
They could jump early and try to acquire someone now, and they certainly have the prospects to do it, but if they wait until the deadline they could possibly land a front line starter like Fausto Carmona.
Having Rosario to include in such a trade would certainly help their chances.
Detroit Tigers: Phil Coke
10 of 30
The Tigers have the offense to be a contender this season, but their starting pitching has struggled and they could look to land an arm sooner rather than later before the division slips away from them.
They gave Coke a shot at the rotation this year, but he has also made a pair of relief appearances after being the team's most reliable middle reliever last season. With the addition of Joaquin Benoit this season, they could hold onto Coke and potentially trade him either for a starter to help for this season or to practically any contender in need of an arm for some solid prospects at the deadline.
Florida Marlins: Javier Vazquez
11 of 30
After a season of struggles with the Yankees last season, the Marlins nabbed Vazquez as a fixer-upper project, signing him to a one-year contract and hoping for the best.
If he shows any signs of being the pitcher he was two years ago with the Braves, there will no doubt be some interested teams, but if the Marlins hold on to him, he has proven to be a streaky pitcher and if he gets hot around July, they could make a killing on their one-year investment.
Houston Astros: Brett Myers
12 of 30
The Astros struck gold last offseason when the took a chance on Myers with a one-year, $7 million contract, and he responded with a 14-8 season in which he finished 10th in Cy Young voting. The Astros rewarded him with a two-year extension, and he has started this year off well once again.
However, the Astros are not a team that looks to be in contention any time soon, and if they choose to hold onto Myers until the deadline, he could be the best arm available on the trade market.
Look for the Astros to cash in on the one-time Phillies castoff come July.
Kansas City Royals: Jeff Francis
13 of 30
The Royals took a chance on Francis this offseason, hoping the former Rockies ace could return to form or at least be an innings eater in the middle of the rotation.
He has been solid so far, with an ERA of 3.00 in 27 innings, and if he can keep that up, his value will only increase. He could turn out to be one of the most sought after players at this year’s deadline.
If not, he is worth holding onto for only $2 million this season.
Los Angeles Angels: Mark Trumbo
14 of 30
With Kendry Morales opening the season on the disabled list, Trumbo was forced into action as the Angels first baseman to start the year, and he has responded well thus far. However, when Morales comes back, he could be headed back to the minors or to a reserve role.
The Angels are in need of a starting pitcher, with Scott Kazmir now out of the rotation, Ervin Santana struggling, and a pair of unproven arms at the back of the rotation, and they could look to make a deal similar to the one that landed them Dan Haren last season.
That would mean trading a big league ready player like Trumbo, much like Joe Saunders in the Haren deal. So holding onto Trumbo to include in the big trade would be a good idea.
Los Angeles Dodgers: James Loney
15 of 30
There were talks of a trade involving Jonathan Broxton and Loney for Prince Fielder this offseason, but the Brewers decided to hold onto Fielder and instead acquired two starting pitchers to bolster their rotation and make a run at the playoffs.
However, if the Brewers falter, and decide to deal Fielder before the season is over in anticipation of not being able to resign him, the Dodgers could revisit the trade, and it would be in their best interest to hold onto Loney should that offer present itself.
Milwaukee Brewers: Mark Rogers
16 of 30
The Brewers built their team to win now when they chose not to deal Prince Fielder this offseason and instead acquired Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to make a serious run at the playoffs, in what is almost certainly Fielder's final season.
The Brewers could look to make another big move to push them over the top, and that could mean moving their top prospect in Rogers. However, they would be wise to wait and see if they are legitimately in contention before mortgaging the future for one season.
Minnesota Twins: Jason Kubel
17 of 30
When everyone is healthy, the Twins have a good deal of outfield depth, with four legitimate starters in Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span and Delmon Young.
Last season, the injury to Justin Morneau forced Cuddyer to shift to first base, while this season he has seen time at second base after starter Tsuyoshi Nishioka has forced Cuddyer to play some second base.
Both Kubel and Cuddyer are free agents at season's end, and while the Nishioka will be back in roughly a month, the Twins would be wise not to mortgage their depth in a trade by moving Kubel or Cuddyer, as the AL Central is wide open.
However, if by July they have fallen behind, moving Kubel would make a lot more sense.
New York Mets: Carlos Beltran
18 of 30
A fire sale could be in order in New York, as the Mets have a ton of money coming off their payroll, including two big names in Jose Reyes and Beltran. The team will most likely not deal Reyes unless they get an astounding offer, as they hope to re-sign him.
Beltran, however, is fair game, and the market for power bats this year is fairly slim. That said, if Beltran shows any signs of his old self, a playoff team could jump on him in hopes of him recapturing the postseason magic he had with the Astros when the acquired him at mid-season.
New York Yankees: Manny Banuelos
19 of 30
The Yankees biggest concern heading into the season was their starting rotation, and little has happened to quell those concerns as Ivan Nova has struggled mightily and Phil Hughes has been even worse.
Banuelos got a long look this spring, and while the Yankees have a decent amount of pitching depth in their organization at this point and Banuelos is still a little ways from being ready, he should absolutely not be involved in any deals unless July rolls around and the Yankees can make a push for someone like Francisco Liriano.
Even then I would think long and hard about dealing the young lefty.
Oakland Athletics: Michael Wuertz
20 of 30
Wuertz, currently on the disabled list, has been one of the most reliable setup men in all of baseball the past few seasons.
The Athletics have a wealth of talent at the back end of their bullpen in Andrew Bailey, Brad Ziegler, Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes, so they could have a number of assets to move in an attempt to improve their offense.
However, relievers become an even bigger commodity at the trade deadline, and Wuertz has the ability to close for a team that is not willing to make a run at someone like Heath Bell. With his reasonable contract, he could be a big time target come July.
Philadelphia Phillies: Joe Blanton
21 of 30
The talk of the spring was the Phillies incredible “Big Four” starting pitchers, as they had four legitimate aces at the front of their rotation.
Lost in that shuffle was Blanton, the one-time ace of the Oakland Athletics rotation and a solid pitcher in his own right.
The Phillies were immediately expected to try to move Blanton and the $17 million he is still owed on his contract, but injuries can strike at any time, and for a team with the payroll flexibility of the Phillies should be in no hurry to deal Blanton.
He makes for an experienced insurance policy should one of the Big Four go down and a darn good fifth starter if they don’t.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Evan Meek
22 of 30
The Pirates are a team on the rise, with a wealth of young talent in their lineup, but their pitching is still a cause for concern.
They do, however, have a solid pair of relievers at the back end of their bullpen in Meek and Joel Hanrahan, and those two could both be dealt this year, as the team looks to bolster their rotations.
Both players could fetch a solid prospect at the very least in a trade, but with Meek off to a tough start after an All-Star season last year, the Pirates would be wise to wait and see if he turns things around and increases his value before they think of trading him.
San Diego Padres: Heath Bell
23 of 30
There are a number of closers set to become free agents this offseason, and Jose Valverde and Bell are at the top of the heap. The Tigers are looking to contend for the AL Central crown so Valverde is not going anywhere.
However, provided the Padres don’t match their unexpected run at contention from last season, they will most likely be sellers this year.
While there are already teams looking for a closer, such as the Cardinals who are suffering through Ryan Franklin collapses at the moment, there will no doubt be an even larger market for Bell if the Padres wait.
They could have their pick of offers at the trade deadline for the burly right-hander.
San Francisco Giants: Mark DeRosa
24 of 30
With the return of DeRosa from injury, a full season of Cody Ross and Pat Burrell, the Giants have five legitimate starting outfield candidates when those three join Aaron Rowand and Andres Torres.
That will no doubt lead to the Giants dealing one of that group at some point when Ross and Torres return from injury, but it should not be DeRosa, at least not this early.
He is the type of player teams love to have as they make a pennant push, and with his experience and versatility, he could gain value at the deadline.
Seattle Mariners: Chone Figgins
25 of 30
The Mariners seemed poised to compete for the AL West crown last season when they landed two of free agencies biggest prizes in Cliff Lee and Figgins.
However, they struggled mightily to a 101-loss season, and Lee was dealt to the Rangers for a number of prospects.
This season, the team looks to be on the road to a rebuild, with a number of prospects expected to play a significant role this season, and that could mean dealing Figgins in an effort to get even younger.
However, with his ability to play numerous positions and be a catalyst at the top of the order, he could be a hot commodity at the deadline, and his value could be high for a team seeking a speedster.
St. Louis Cardinals: John Jay
26 of 30
The Cardinals look to be in need of some late inning relief, as Ryan Franklin has struggled mightily so far this season, and they could be in the market to acquire someone like Heath Bell.
However, that would come at a steep price, and the Padres would want major league ready talent. With Lance Berkman playing well in right field, the Cardinals could part with Jay in any big deal they make.
However, Berkman is nothing more than a stopgap option, and they would be better off trying some internal talent at closer and making sure they will be in contention before they deal someone like Jay.
Tampa Bay Rays: B.J. Upton
27 of 30
After the 2007 season in which he hit .300 BA, 24 HR, 82 RBI at the age of 22, it looked as though the Rays had the game's next big star in Upton. However, he has struggled the past two seasons, hitting just .239, and he is off to a slow start again this year.
His name has been linked to trade rumors for the better part of a year now, but he is still only 26 years old, and there is still time for him to turn things around and return to form. The Rays would be wise to wait and see if he turns it around, as that would boost his stock, both with the team and in a trade.
Texas Rangers: Michael Young
28 of 30
After signing third baseman Adrian Beltre this offseason, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Young was on his way out in Texas, but the team chose to hold onto him and make him their DH/utility starter.
The team has the horses to contend in the AL West again this season, even without Cliff Lee, and as injury prone as guys like Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler have proven to be, having Young around is closer to a necessity than a privilege.
If they are out of contention or healthy at the deadline, he could be moved though.
Toronto Blue Jays: Octavio Dotel
29 of 30
The Blue Jays have a number of pitchers who could be on the move this deadline, including their closer Jon Rauch, Frank Francisco and Dotel. So with a wealth of veteran relievers, one of the hottest commodities come July, the Blue Jays could be in a position to make a number of deals.
However, Dotel has the experience of being dealt a number of times mid-season, and he has performed well every time he has moved to a new team. So while they have a number of attractive pieces, holding onto Dotel until July and then dealing him could be the best way to maximize his value.
Washington Nationals: Derek Norris
30 of 30
The Nationals are a team willing to spend to build a winner, spending big to land one of the top free agents this past offseason in Jayson Werth, and they could look to address their lack of pitching this season with a trade as they look to the future.
Norris is the team's No. 2 prospect this season, and last season the team dealt closer Matt Capps to the Twins for catching prospect Wilson Ramos. With Ivan Rodriguez soon to be retired, the team will have to choose between Ramos and Norris, as well as Jesus Flores to be their closer of the future.
With the team seemingly high on Ramos, they could wait until July and make a move for another starter using one of the two, with Norris the likely candidate.
