MLB Trades to Save Players in Desperate Need of a Change of Scenery
Sometimes, all an MLB player needs is a change of scenery to spark a turnaround.
New York Yankees slugger Joey Gallo is arguably the most obvious such candidate on the market this summer, as he was a legitimate MVP candidate just a year ago before he was traded to the Yankees.
He is far from the only one, though, and ahead we've highlighted seven players who could be a jersey change away from making an impact.
Included is a hypothetical trade proposal for each player sending him to a team with which he'll have a better opportunity to perform.
LHP Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals
1 of 7
To DET: SP Patrick Corbin, SP Cade Cavalli, $29.25 million
To WAS: RHP Tyler Mattison
The Washington Nationals still owe Patrick Corbin a whopping $59.8 million over the next two seasons, and they're on the hook for roughly $9.25 million for the remainder of 2022.
With a 6.02 ERA that is worst among qualified starters, Corbin has devolved into a shell of the player who earned a six-year, $140 million deal and helped lead the Nationals to a World Series in 2019. A change of scenery and some new voices in his ear could be just what he needs to return to productive form.
Looking beneath the surface, he is throwing more sinkers and fewer sliders, and his mechanics have seemingly changed to feature far more extension in his delivery. Could walking back that change be the key to turning things around?
The only way the Nationals would have a chance of moving him, aside from including him in a Juan Soto deal, is to package him with one of their top prospects, and right-hander Cade Cavalli (No. 79 on B/R's Top 100) makes the most sense given his age relative to the rest of the team's top-tier up-and-comers and the Nationals' long-term outlook.
Covering the remainder of his 2022 salary and $20 million toward his future commitments further bridges the value gap.
This would essentially amount to the Detroit Tigers buying a top prospect and taking a flier on a veteran pitcher who could chew through innings while they continue to build toward contention.
It's a long shot, but we have seen deals like this in the past.
OF Joey Gallo, New York Yankees
2 of 7
To SD: OF Joey Gallo
To NYY: LHP Ray Kerr
The San Diego Padres have been linked to slugger Joey Gallo since before he landed with the New York Yankees last summer, and those rumors were rekindled during the offseason.
Despite hitting .162 with a 37.9 percent strikeout rate, Gallo is not far removed from having a 138 OPS+ with 25 home runs and 4.2 WAR in 95 games with the Texas Rangers last season.
He's strictly a rental, and unloading the remainder of his $10.3 million salary would allow the Yankees some financial flexibility in pursuing an outfield upgrade such as Andrew Benintendi or David Peralta.
The Padres get a boost to an underperforming outfield unit and a player with a ton of change-of-scenery upside, while the Yankees get some salary wiggle room and a hard-throwing lefty in Ray Kerr.
With a fastball that regularly touches 100 mph and 32 strikeouts in 22 innings at Triple-A, he has impact potential in the bullpen, though the 27-year-old does still have work to do to refine his command.
1B/2B Keston Hiura, Milwaukee Brewers
3 of 7
To TB: 1B/2B Keston Hiura
To MIL: LHP Ryan Yarbrough
A former Top 100 prospect who peaked at No. 17 on Baseball America's list, Keston Hiura debuted with a bang in 2019 when he hit .303/.368/.570 with 23 doubles, 19 home runs and 1.9 WAR in 84 games, closing out the season hitting cleanup for a playoff-bound team.
In the three years since, he's hit just .203/.297/.383 for an 84 OPS+ in 587 plate appearances, and he was optioned to the minors in mid-July.
Still just 25 years old, he has a 126 OPS+ with eight home runs in 144 plate appearances this season, but his lack of a clear defensive home has made it tough for the Brewers to find him a regular role.
He's a great buy-low candidate for a Rays team that always takes an opportunistic approach to finding value, and he could join Ji-Man Choi as the right-handed-hitting side of a platoon at first base.
In exchange, the Brewers bring back a lefty swingman in Ryan Yarbrough, who has been excellent in the past but has a 5.22 ERA in 198.1 innings over the past two seasons.
This is a change-of-scenery situation for both players. Yarbrough is controllable through 2024 and Hiura is controllable through 2025, so this trade could have a long-term impact on both organizations.
.jpg?w=256 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
RHP German Marquez, Colorado Rockies
4 of 7
To TOR: RHP German Marquez
To COL: SS/3B Jordan Groshans, RHP Yosver Zulueta, IF Tanner Morris
Colorado Rockies right-hander German Marquez has been a focal point of trade rumors in years past, but with a 5.47 ERA in 103.2 innings this season, he has not been mentioned as much this summer.
The 27-year-old is under contract for $15.3 million in 2023, and he has a $16 million club option with a $2.5 million buyout in 2024, so he's more than just a rental and is controllable at a reasonable price if he can return to form.
Marquez was an All-Star just last year when he posted a 4.40 ERA with 176 strikeouts in 180 innings, and while his overall numbers don't look great this year, he has a 4.20 ERA in eight starts away from Coors Field.
Buying low could help the Blue Jays shore up their starting rotation now and going forward.
Jordan Groshans still has intriguing upside, but his prospect stock has dipped over the past year as a result of injuries and limited power production. Yosver Zulueta is enjoying a breakout season on the mound as a 24-year-old in the lower levels of the minors. Tanner Morris is a high-floor utility type with excellent on-base ability and some gap power.
LHP Kyle Muller, Atlanta Braves
5 of 7
To KC: LHP Kyle Muller
To ATL: 2B/OF Whit Merrifield
With a 2.96 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 94.1 innings at Triple-A, left-hander Kyle Muller has very little left to prove in the minors.
However, the 24-year-old has yet to receive an extended look in the majors, making just one spot start this year in which he allowed four hits, six walks and seven earned runs in 2.2 innings.
It might take a trade for him to finally get the long look he's earned in an MLB rotation.
The Braves have shown a willingness to move MLB-ready pitching at the deadline in years past, trading Bryse Wilson (To PIT in 2021), Joey Wentz (To DET in 2019) and Kolby Allard (To TEX in 2019) to acquire a trio of relievers.
Whit Merrifield is having a down year with the Kansas City Royals, hitting just .247 with a .297 on-base percentage, but he could be the perfect stop-gap to man second base until Ozzie Albies returns from a foot injury, at which point he could move to the outfield.
After Merrifield endured five-plus losing seasons, being thrust into the middle of a playoff race could be exactly what he needs to jump-start his offensive game.
The Braves get a versatile veteran with All-Star upside, the Royals get a high-ceiling young pitcher who can contribute right away and join their ongoing rebuild, and it's a win-win.
2B Jonathan Schoop, Detroit Tigers
6 of 7
To CWS: 2B Jonathan Schoop, $3 million
To DET: RHP Johan Dominguez
Veteran Jonathan Schoop was arguably the most productive player on the Detroit Tigers last season, posting a 108 OPS+, 30 doubles, 22 home runs, 84 RBI and 2.0 WAR in 156 games.
It has been a much different story for the 30-year-old this season, as he's batting just .207/.240/.307 with 22 extra-base hits in 366 plate appearances, and playing for a disappointing Tigers team surely hasn't helped things.
With a .266 average in July he is starting to show some signs of life, and the fact that he's a career .274/.316/.488 hitter with nine home runs and 22 RBI in 43 games at Guaranteed Rate Field should add to his appeal for the Chicago White Sox.
Second base has been a weak spot all year for the South Siders, and after addressing their need at that position a year ago by acquiring Cesar Hernandez from the division-rival Cleveland Guardians, this would be a similar approach.
The $3 million cash inclusion would be the remainder of Schoop's salary this year, and in return the Tigers bring back an intriguing arm in Johan Dominguez. The 26-year-old had a 1.42 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 12.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in April.
1B/OF Dominic Smith, New York Mets
7 of 7
To CHC: 1B Dominic Smith, RHP Eric Orze
To NYM: RHP David Robertson, RHP Mychal Givens
It's easy to forget just how good Dominic Smith was during the shortened 2020 season.
An everyday player for the first time in his career, he hit .316/.377/.616 for a 168 OPS+ that ranked fourth among qualified NL hitters, but he has been unable to match that level of success since then while trying to carve out a regular spot.
With club control through the 2024 season, he still has appealing upside as a buy-low target, and the rebuilding Chicago Cubs are a great potential fit with Frank Schwindel and Alfonso Rivas both underperforming at first base.
This deal would give the Mets bullpen a major boost with David Robertson (35 G, 14 SV, 1.83 ERA, 11.4 K/9) and Mychal Givens (38 G, 5 HLD, 2.79 ERA, 11.2 K/9) both representing proven late-inning options. Both are rentals, but it's a move that makes sense for a Mets team with title aspirations.
Reliever Eric Orze could immediately slot in the Chicago bullpen, and he played his high school ball at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Illinois.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Monday's games.
.jpg?w=480 "MLB Farm System Rankings")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team ๐")
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft ๐")
