MLB Trade Speculation: 10 Best Packages for Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver has easily become one of the best pitchers in baseball.

He's due to become a free agent following the 2012 season and there has been speculation as to how long the Los Angeles Angels will employ his dominant pitching.

Over his first 17 starts, the 28-year-old has posted a 9-4 record with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, lining him up to potentially win his first AL Cy Young.

But is it certain he'll end the season in the American League?

Nothing is ever certain when the MLB trade deadline draws near, especially with teams like the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals looking to improve their chances for a playoff spot.

The Angels aren't out of contention themselves, two games out of first, but it's only a matter of time before a team tries to pluck Weaver from California.

Here are the top 10 trade packages that teams can draw up to acquire baseball's hottest pitcher.

10. Jeremy Hellickson

This is a long shot, but I figured I'd pay some respect to the Tampa Bay Rays and a possible trade for Jered Weaver.

Jeremy Hellickson has been great for the Rays in 2011, winning seven games with a 3.09 ERA.

Now while those numbers are great for a No. 3 starter in the AL East, he's still no Weaver.

At 24, Hellickson is one of the best up-and-coming arms in the MLB, so moving him would be a cake walk.

However, are the Rays that sold on this year's team that they'd trade away Hellickson for a one-and-a-half-year loan of Jered Weaver?

Since Weaver's unlikely to re-sign with any team that trades for him, following him becoming a free agent after 2012, it's going to be tough to gauge how much an MLB franchise will relinquish for his services.

Hellickson for Weaver is a true stretch as we approach the trade deadline, but can you imagine a rotation that showcases Weaver, David Price and James Shields?

9. Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard

This makes a lot of sense.

Despite already having Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz, the Boston Red Sox's biggest weakness is their starting pitching.

Beckett is injury-prone, Lester is giving up too many hits to be a sure thing, and Buchholz is currently on the 15-day DL.

Trading for Jered Weaver would instantly secure Boston with an AL East division title and would more than likely launch them into any and all World Series discussions.

As if they weren't already contenders.

Regardless, Buchholz is a guy that the Red Sox could manage to let go of and Daniel Bard would be the icing on the cake.

The Los Angeles Angels would likely be happy to make Bard their eventual closer or even a dominant set-up guy for Jordan Walden.

Buchholz and Dan Haren would still prove to be a solid one-two punch against any team in the league, and the Angels would save nearly $6 million in contract expenses just this year.

8. Drew Stubbs and Edinson Volquez

Is it just me or does Drew Stubbs look like Flash in this picture?

Trading Stubbs and pitcher Edinson Volquez seems desperate for a Cincinnati Reds team that already has enough pieces in order to win their second division title in back-to-back years.

But considering Johnny Cueto is their only countable pitcher in that rotation, acquiring Jered Weaver from the Los Angeles Angels would set them up to contend with the Milwaukee Brewers starting five.

Stubbs is a duel threat that any team would be glad to have, offering 20 HR power and 40 SB ability.

He'd be an instant upgrade over Peter Bourjos and even an aging Torii Hunter.

Volquez, on the other hand, could help out the Angels at the end of their rotation.  He started out with the Texas Rangers, so a move back to the AL could do him so good with his season struggles.

The Reds could do without Stubbs considering Chris Heisley has played like an All-Star and trading for Weaver would complement their Joey Votto-led offense.

7. Madison Bumgarner and Brandon Belt

Without catcher Buster Posey in the lineup, the San Francisco Giants must transform into the best pitching team in baseball.

It's going to determine their chances of getting back to the World Series and aiming for a championship repeat.

Acquiring Jered Weaver would instantly form the best pitching duo in the MLB with Tim Lincecum.

Not to mention the Giants still have Matt Cain and possess one of the best closers in the league with Brian Wilson.

With that said, they'd have to feel comfortable trading an expendable Madison Bumgarner.

The 21-year-old hasn't pitched to his potential at all this year which makes him even more susceptible to being moved somewhere else.

With Barry Zito fresh off the DL, the Giants could decide to part ways with Bumgarner and offer the Los Angeles Angels first baseman Brandon Belt as well.

Belt is a solid hitting prospect, the best one the Giants have and would become a great option for the Angels.

Regardless of Kendry Morales coming back to the lineup next year, Belt could play the outfield or Mike Scioscia could opt to move Morales to DH, saving him from another potential injury.

6. Gordon Beckham and Gavin Floyd

It's no secret, the Chicago White Sox are in a desperate need for change.

Whether it's fixing Adam Dunn historical slow start or replacing some of their underachieving pitchers, general manager Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen are always up for a trade.

That's where Jered Weaver comes in.

With Jake Peavy finally regaining his elite status, along with the fact that Chicago is currently four games out of first place, getting Weaver could put them in position for a second season surge.

Of course, they'd have to get ride of some top talent, including second baseman Gordon Beckham.

Beckham is only 24 years old and came up in his career as a third baseman, so the Los Angeles Angels could use him to replace Maicer Izturis at the hot corner.

Gavin Floyd would serve as a throw in even though he's no slouch, or the White Sox could decide to offer Edwin Jackson or John Danks instead.

Either way, Chicago should be a serious threat to trade for Weaver leading up to mid-July and could become an instant contender in the American League if they pull this off.

5. Nelson Cruz and Alexi Ogando

Getting rid of Nelson Cruz could prove deadly for the Texas Rangers, but trading for Jered Weaver could launch them into championship contention.

It's sort of a catch-22.

Weaver has been pitching so well in 2011 that he could be this year's Cliff Lee for Texas, who lead the team to their first World Series in franchise history.

The only problem with this trade is the fact that the Los Angeles Angels are going to have to be heavily compensated in order to deal Weaver to an in-division rival.

That's where Cruz comes into play.

He's become one of the best power hitting outfielders over the past few years, making him a high level target leading up to the trade deadline.

Offering Cruz and Alexi Ogando could be the key ingredients in landing one of the best pitchers around.

Ogando has been great in his first season as a starter, going 7-3 with a 2.87 ERA.

But this is still his first season, so it's highly unlikely the 27-year-old is stretched out enough to last deep into the season, making it hard for Texas to rely on him to be there come playoff time.

Acquiring Weaver would set up a nasty starting three with C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, cementing the Rangers as potential suitors to take down Boston and New York in the American League.

4. Austin Jackson and Rick Porcello

I like this trade a lot for both teams.

The Detroit Tigers get a top-five pitcher in the league to compensate Justin Verlander's Cy Young year and the Los Angeles Angels get youth in the outfield and a solid young arm in return.

Austin Jackson has had an up-and-down season, but his potential to become a top-20 outfielder is clearly evident.

He offers speed, great defense and is only 24, making him an obvious upgrade over Torii Hunter and even Vernon Wells for years to come.

Jackson was involved in the Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees trade two years ago, so he's more than capable of producing despite moving to a different team.

Rick Porcello is a solid young starter, going 30-26 through the first 70 starts of his career.

The Tigers need to think hard and long about making this trade.

Verlander is easily one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB, but fellow starter Max Scherzer has gone from becoming a potentially elite option to a very streaky performer.

As far as the Tigers offense is concerned, breakout seasons by Brennan Boesch and Alex Avila will make it easier to part ways with Jackson.

As it it usually goes, whichever team lands Weaver is going to be an instant playoff threat.

3. Colby Rasmus and Kyle McClellen

Without Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff is going to encounter some serious pressure to produce over the next two months.

However, with a lackluster 2011 from Chris Carpenter and season-ending Tommy John surgery for Adam Wainwright before the year, Tony La Russa is left with little to no pitching.

Jaime Garcia stands alone as the only semi-dominant starter the Cardinals currently have, making it interesting to see if the team makes a move for a pitcher before the deadline.

Jered Weaver seems like the obvious choice.

Weaver would more than likely pitch even better than he has been if he were to move from the AL West to the offensively challenged NL Central.

The most significant trade bait that that Cardinals can dangle out there for the Los Angeles Angels to grab, has got to be Colby Rasmus.

Rasmus has heavily underachieved in his third MLB season, on pace for 11 less home runs then he hit last year.

However, he's still only 24 years old and has some serious upside going forward, but the time is now for the Cardinals to make a playoff push considering Pujols future with the team following this season is highly questionable.

McClellan would be a toss in even though he has some promising talent himself, but nothing that compares to Jered Weaver over the next year and a half.

Can you imagine a rotation that sports Weaver, Carpenter and Wainwright in 2012?

2. Phil Hughes and Jesus Montero

With A.J. Burnett's inconsistency, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia's age, the New York Yankees are faced with a true dilemma.

Try to win with the starters they have now, or package the returning Phil Hughes and a prospect in order to land Jered Weaver.

General manager Brian Cashman isn't going to sit idly by and watch the Yankees struggle to catch the Boston Red Sox.

Hughes proved in 2010 that he has top-20 potential, but ran into trouble this year when he all of sudden came down with "dead arm."

The 24-year-old starter is due back in the big leagues in less than a week, making it very important to make a decision now.

Acquiring Weaver would tag team him with C.C. Sabathia, creating an unstoppable force in the American League, sort of what the Los Angeles Angels have now with Weaver and Dan Haren.

Also, trading for Weaver now and having him under contract for the entire 2012 season could solidify Sabathia's decision to bypass his contract opt-out for next year.

Jesus Montero would be a big selling point for the Angels.

Montero was speculated in a 2010 trade with the Seattle Mariners for Cliff Lee, so another AL West franchise could be interested in his services.

You can never count the Yankees out of making a deadline trade to bolster their championship chance, so why would anything change this year involving Jered Weaver?

1. Clay Buchholz and Jonathan Papelbon

This is the best package that any team can put together for Jered Weaver.

The Boston Red Sox would acquire an instant upgrade over Clay Buchholz and could finally replace closer Jonathan Papelbon with a heat seeking Daniel Bard.

There's been speculation throughout the entire season as to how long the Red Sox will last before they decide to throw Bard into the ninth inning fire.

Well, a trade for Weaver could finally end that discussion.

The Los Angeles Angels would be more than willing to make this trade.

Buchholz would be a great addition, offering youth at 26 years old and costing nearly $6.5 million less in 2011 than Weaver.

Papelbon would quickly become the team's closer, spelling Jordan Walden and moving him to a set-up role.

While the once elite closer is due to test the free agent market following the season, he still has enough ability to effectively keep the Angels in a playoff race.

The main piece in this trade would clearly be Buchholz, but Paps could seal the deal.

How much do the Angels covet the young starter and do they think Papelbon will resign with them for 2012?