Outrageous Trades to Shake Up the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline
We entered the 2023 MLB season with visions of a Shohei Ohtani trade deadline deal breaking the internet, but what if instead of trading away the 2021 AL MVP, the Angels added the 2022 NL MVP?
Is it time for the Mets to give up the ghost and try to recoup some of their exorbitant payroll?
Could the highest-rated prospect in all of baseball be on the move?
Though we are labeling these trade proposals as "outrageous," they aren't preposterously irrational or aggressively unbalanced.
It'd be a waste of everyone's time to suggest that Ohtani might get traded to Oakland, or that a contender is going to gut its farm system for a two-month rental. So, we're not going there.
Rather, these are "outrageous" trades because they're a bit off the wall and for each one, I truly have no idea which fanbase is going to be more livid in the comments.
Should be fun.
Throughout this discussion of hypothetical trades, we will make use of Baseball Trade Values' trade simulator. It is far from a perfect model of players' trade value—wait until you see what it thinks Max Scherzer is worth—and not all of the trades are necessarily balanced based on its calculations. But it's better than nothing.
Trades are presented in no particular order.
Marcus Stroman to the Cincinnati Reds
1 of 10
Cincinnati Reds Receive: RHP Marcus Stroman
Chicago Cubs Receive: 1B/3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand
We're coming in hot with what would be an intra-divisional deadline deal for the ages.
The Cubs have stormed back into the NL Central hunt in recent weeks, winning 11 of their past 14 games. Selling is no longer the certainty it seemed to be early in the month. But if they don't gain any more ground on the Reds and Brewers in the next five weeks, there's still a decent chance they'll pack it in and unload some of their expiring assets.
The two biggest ones are Stroman ($21 million player option) and Bellinger ($12 million mutual option), who are all but guaranteed to opt for free agency this offseason.
Maybe they could package that duo for a nice haul of prospects. (The Yankees sure could use both a centerfielder and a starting pitcher right about now. More on that front in a bit.) But we'll split them up with Stroman staying in the NL Central to lend the Cincinnati Reds a hand.
Because while the Reds have been hotter than hot as of late, their starting rotation still leaves a lot to be desired. Andrew Abbott has been a godsend since getting called up in early June, and Hunter Greene was having a solid season prior to landing on the IL with hip discomfort 10 days ago. But things get ugly in a hurry from there.
Adding Stroman would drastically enhance Cincinnati's viability in a postseason series.
As far as the return for Chicago is concerned, Cincinnati is overflowing with quality prospects on the left side of the infield. Encarnacion-Strand is rated as a top 100 prospect by MLB.com and has a career triple-slash in the minors of .320/.384/.603, but he is merely Cincinnati's fifth-best SS/3B. So while it's an overpay for a two-month rental, it's one the Reds could afford to make if they're serious about going for it this year.
Salvador Perez to the San Diego Padres
2 of 10
San Diego Padres Receive: C Salvador Perez
Kansas City Royals Receive: RHP Isaiah Lowe
First things first, Perez has to be on board with a trade, as he has 10-and-5 rights and can veto any deal shipping him out of Kansas City.
Second things second, San Diego has to be willing to spend quite a bit of long-term money to make this happen. Perez is making $20 million this season, $20 million in 2024 and $22 million in 2025 with a $13.5 million club option for 2026.
And considering the Padres have the third-highest payroll in the majors, that's the part that makes this an outrageous trade idea. Bringing in yet another high-priced, multi-year player only makes it that much more difficult for San Diego to find the money to ink Juan Soto to a long-term deal before he hits free agency after next season.
But, hey, if we can clear those two hurdles, this could be a match made in heaven.
Gary Sánchez has already cooled off considerably since hitting six home runs in his first 13 games with the Padres, leaving them once again in search of a catcher who can actually get on base every now and then. And even if Sánchez heats back up, San Diego hasn't gotten much of anything out of its DH spot this season and could still play Perez on a daily basis as it tries to claw back into playoff position.
As far as Kansas City's motivation goes, Perez represents more than 50 percent of money committed in 2024 and all of the money committed in 2025. Though he has been the face of the franchise for a while now, the Royals are scuffling their way through a multi-year rebuild and really don't need to be spending that kind of money on an old catcher.
Most of what San Diego is offering the Royals here is salary relief. But the Padres need to at least give something to Kansas City. A 20-year-old pitcher who was an 11th-round pick in last year's draft—who has spent most of this season on the IL—might be enough of a lottery ticket to make it happen.
Paul Goldschmidt to the Los Angeles Angels
3 of 10
Los Angeles Angels Receive: 1B Paul Goldschmidt
St. Louis Cardinals Receive: C Logan O'Hoppe and RHP Victor Mederos
The Cardinals are still flirting with the worst record in the National League and just about have to be preparing to sell at the trade deadline for what would be the first time in many years.
Starters Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty and relievers Jordan Hicks and Chris Stratton are the impending free agents St. Louis is most likely to part ways with. But if the Cards are willing to consider moving a player who is also signed through next season, the bidding war for the reigning NL MVP could get a little out of control.
If he does end up on the move, one dream destination for Goldschmidt would be a reunion with Arizona, where he won the first three Gold Gloves and first four Silver Slugger awards of his remarkable career. But considering the Diamondbacks have Christian Walker at first base and don't particularly need to upgrade their lineup, it's highly unlikely they would be willing to give up top-tier prospects to get Goldy back.
But the Angels?
In what might be their last season with Shohei Ohtani?
In an effort to convince the once-in-a-generation superstar to re-sign with them?
They might be willing to sell what little farm system they have to make a serious push for a World Series.
O'Hoppe got out to an impressive start to his rookie season before suffering a torn labrum in late April. The initial recovery window was given as 4-6 months, so it's unclear if he'll be able to play again this season. And while he is their highest-rated prospect, their second-best prospect (Edgar Quero) is also a catcher—one who had a .965 OPS at the Single-A level last season as a 19-year-old.
The Angels would likely need to throw in at least one pitcher to sweeten the pot enough to pique St. Louis' interest, but Goldy to LA might not be as outrageous as it seems.
Juan Soto and Blake Snell to the New York Yankees
4 of 10
New York Yankees Receive: LF Juan Soto and LHP Blake Snell
San Diego Padres Receive: IF Oswald Peraza, OF Jasson Domínguez, C Austin Wells and RHP Drew Thorpe
Kind of an important point in the program to point out that all of these trade proposals were constructed in a vacuum, and that we're not suggesting all of them could happen simultaneously.
Because, no, the Padres are not going to trade for Salvador Perez while also trading away Juan Soto and Blake Snell.
That wouldn't make even a little bit of sense.
But at 37-41 and 6.5 games back for the NL's third wild-card spot, it does make sense to come up with one outrageous trade for San Diego as a buyer and one outrageous trade for San Diego as a seller, as they have become the ultimate deadline domino to monitor over the next month.
If the Padres do sell, impending free agents Snell and Josh Hader are the "low-hanging fruit" most likely to be on the move. However, they're going to need to put 1.5 seasons' worth of Soto on the block if they want to get some serious return on investment—to revamp the farm system they depleted to get Soto one year ago.
A Soto/Snell package should generate the type of return that Washington got for Soto and Josh Bell last year, or that Washington got for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer at the 2021 trade deadline.
And with Aaron Judge out indefinitely and three-fifths of the Yankees starting rotation struggling while the AL wild-card race is shaping up to be one heck of a battle, New York may be approaching a point of desperation.
The Yankees could be willing to part with their top two prospects (Domínguez and Wells), a guy who was one of their top prospects to open each of the last two seasons (Peraza) and a second-round pick in last year's draft (Thorpe)—and maybe even a little more than that—to improve their odds of winning it all this season.
Boston Calls It Quits; San Francisco Goes All-in
5 of 10
San Francisco Giants Receive: OF Alex Verdugo, RHP Garrett Whitlock and RHP James Paxton
Boston Red Sox Receive: LHP Kyle Harrison and RHP Mason Black
The Giants have been road warriors over the past five weeks, entering Tuesday's game in Toronto with a 14-2 record in their previous 16 road games. That run has vaulted them into playoff position, just a couple of games behind the Diamondbacks for first place in the NL West.
But both the outfield and the starting rotation are in shambles.
Mike Yastrzemski has been solid, but he just landed on the IL with a strained hamstring. Mitch Haniger has not been solid, and he's out indefinitely with a fractured forearm. And while Michael Conforto has 12 home runs on the season, he has only hit one in the past month, slugging .346 during that window. Rookie Luis Matos has been a big help in the two weeks since he was called up, but they need more.
And on the rotation front, they've had seven guys make at least five starts. Logan Webb and Alex Cobb have both been great and Anthony DeSclafani has been plenty serviceable, but occasional opener John Brebbia is on the IL while Alex Wood, Sean Manaea and Ross Stripling each has an ERA north of 5.00. (North of 7.00 in Stripling's case.) The Giants need to add at least one reliable starter, and two would be better.
If Boston throws in the towel from last place in the AL East, it could provide a ton of help to San Francisco.
Paxton (3.19 ERA through eight starts) is an impending free agent, Verdugo (batting .303) has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and Whitlock (career 3.14 ERA) is on a team-friendly contract through 2026 with club options for both 2027 and 2028.
Adding that trio could get the Giants (currently +1000 to win the NL) up into the favorites range alongside Atlanta (+165) and Los Angeles (+315).
But it's also a trio that would come with a steep price tag. Harrison is MLB.com's No. 14 overall prospect at the moment and could be the long-term crown jewel of this trade. And even he wouldn't be enough to grease the wheels here. The Giants would need to throw in at least one other respectable pitching prospect.
Miami Trades 1 Pitcher for Half of a Lineup
6 of 10
Miami Marlins Receive: 1B C.J. Cron, OF/DH Charlie Blackmon, OF Randal Grichuk, OF Jurickson Profar
Colorado Rockies Receive: RHP Edward Cabrera
If the Marlins are to be taken seriously as a contender, they must improve their offense. Luis Arráez is still hovering around .400 in batting average and Jorge Soler is flirting with winning the NL's home run crown, but it goes downhill in a hurry from there.
At least Jazz Chisholm Jr. is finally back from six weeks on the IL, but it's going to take more than that to fix one of the lowest-scoring offenses in the majors.
However, one team in a unique position to help is Colorado.
Blackmon, Cron, Grichuk and Profar all hit free agency this offseason and have no real value on a team going nowhere fast. But all four can definitely hit, each clubbing at least 15 home runs in 2022. Cron is having a down year and just returned from about six weeks on the IL with back spasms, but this could be quite the "lineup infusion" quartet if that 2022 All-Star is able to turn a corner over the next month or so.
And goodness knows Colorado is always looking for pitching help, which Miami can provide.
Even after trading away both Pablo López and Elieser Hernández this past offseason, the Marlins are practically overflowing with starting pitchers under the age of 28. Eury Pérez's instant dominance at the MLB level has opened the door for Miami to trade away Trevor Rogers, Edward Cabrera or Max Meyer if the right offer came along.
Because of his injury history and his career-long struggles with walks, Cabrera figures to be the one they would be most willing to move. But to get a whiff-inducing pitcher with five years of team control remaining, Colorado might even agree to retain the entire $14ish million in prorated salaries still due to those four hitters.
2 of the Stingiest Franchises Concoct a Small Blockbuster
7 of 10
Tampa Bay Rays Receive: RHP Mitch Keller
Pittsburgh Pirates Receive: 1B Kyle Manzardo and LHP Mason Montgomery
Remember back on April 29 when Tampa Bay (23-5) and Pittsburgh (20-8) were the only teams in the majors with more than 18 wins?
The Rays have continued playing extremely well, but the Pirates have fallen completely off the track and appear destined to do some selling.
When that day comes, there could be a bidding war for Keller, who has made 10 quality starts this season and who still has two more years of arbitration eligibility remaining after this season ends. Because of that team control, he could be one of the top arms on the market, if the Pirates are willing to move him.
Tampa Bay can jump headlong into that bidding war with a platter of Manzardo and Montgomery.
The former hasn't hit particularly well this season, but he had a 1.043 OPS in 93 minor league games played in 2022. Manzardo could be Pittsburgh's first baseman of the future, which has been a glaring hole for this franchise for many moons. And Montgomery is a strikeout artist who just turned 23 and appears to have a bright future.
Really, it's the classic Pirates trade: Give up a guy who has emerged over several years in the majors for two or three players with tantalizing potential several years down the road.
Worth mentioning on the Rays: If they do manage to get Keller (or another viable, affordable postseason starter), it will be interesting to see if they try to trade away Tyler Glasnow. He's only making $5.35 million this season, but his salary spikes to $25 million in 2024. He could be worth that amount if he can stay healthy, but that will be a gigantic pill for this small-market franchise to swallow.
Baltimore Sends MLB's No. 1 Prospect to the White Sox
8 of 10
Chicago White Sox Receive: SS Jackson Holliday
Baltimore Orioles Receive: RHP Lucas Giolito, RHP Dylan Cease, IF Lenyn Sosa and cash
MLB.com recently updated its top 100 prospects, slotting 19-year-old Jackson Holliday atop the list, ahead of even Cincinnati's phenom Elly De La Cruz and Miami's towering ace Eury Pérez. The son of Matt Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, and he is hitting .325 with a .994 OPS and 20 stolen bases thus far this season at the Single-A level.
It's hard to draw up a scenario in which Baltimore would be willing to part with a young man who may well be a multiple-time All-Star before he turns 25.
But let's give it a go, because giving up guys who figure to help out in a few years might be the only type of spending that this contender will do at the deadline.
The White Sox and the Cardinals are the two most logical trade partners, both sitting at double-digit games below .500 with quite the list of intriguing trade options. If our aforementioned "Paul Goldschmidt to the Angels" trade doesn't happen for St. Louis, perhaps giving up Goldschmidt, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery and a TBD pitching prospect for Holliday could be in the cards.
We're going the Chicago route, though, with Giolito and Cease landing in Baltimore to instantly elevate this starting rotation to a World Series contender.
Giolito hits free agency this winter, but the O's would get to keep Cease as the ace of their staff through 2025.
That combination of a guy on an expiring deal and a guy with 2.5 years of team control remaining is sort of a pitching version of the Josh Bell/Juan Soto package that got Washington a haul of quality prospects. While we're not suggesting that Cease is anywhere near as valuable as Soto was at this time one year ago, it might be enough to get Baltimore to budge on Holliday. Adding Sosa and a TBD amount of cash could seal the deal.
Tigers Find a Báez Buyer
9 of 10
Seattle Mariners Receive: SS/2B Javier Báez
Detroit Tigers Receive: IF Mason McCoy
Báez's contract is one of the most untradeable contracts in the majors, as he has a four-year, $98 million player option after this season.
In an ideal world, the shortstop who has struggled over the 1.5 years since signing with Detroit catches fire in August and September, helps get you to the postseason and then opts out for a bigger deal in free agency.
In a less ideal world, his .597 OPS gets even worse and you're stuck with a sunk cost of $24.5 million per year through 2027.
Baseball Trade Values puts Báez's median trade value at negative-51.2. Not quite Stephen Strasburg bad (negative-124.7) or Anthony Rendon bad (negative-117.4), but pretty darn bad.
Now, if Detroit absorbs a significant chunk of the contract—like when Colorado traded Nolan Arenado to St. Louis and agreed to pay $51 million of the roughly $200 million remaining on his deal—that changes things and might actually net the Tigers a solid prospect.
However, we are assuming this is purely a salary dump situation for the Tigers, in which they are essentially begging a team to take a chance on this still-only-30-years-old middle infielder.
And, well, Báez can't be any worse than Kolten Wong has been in Seattle, right?
Maybe Báez just needs a change of scenery to get back to hitting like he did from 2017-21, when he clubbed 125 home runs and had an .815 OPS?
The Mariners aren't traditionally major spenders, but the long-term impact of adding Báez's contract might not be that bad for them.
Julio Rodríguez's mega deal doesn't spike to $19.9 million per year until 2025, at which point the M's are able to opt out of the final year of the Eugenio Suárez and Marco Gonzales deals. And they don't need to start really paying the likes of Jarred Kelenic, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby or Bryce Miller until after Báez's contract ends.
Obviously, it's not an ideal contract if he's barely a replacement-level player, but they could make it work and bank on Báez bridging the gap until 2022 first-round pick Cole Young is ready for the big leagues.
(McCoy is a 28-year-old middle infielder who has spent the past three seasons in Triple-A. He hit 21 home runs and stole 22 bases last season, but he is not regarded as one of Seattle's top 30 prospects.)
Max Scherzer to the Milwaukee Brewers
10 of 10
Milwaukee Brewers Receive: RHP Max Scherzer
New York Mets Receive: RHP Jacob Misiorowski
You better believe we cranked the "outrageous" dial up to 11 for this one, but is it really that preposterous?
As we've made sure to mention on at least a bi-weekly basis since the beginning of the 2022-23 offseason, the Milwaukee Brewers are stuck between a rock and a hard place, good enough to win the NL Central, but probably not good enough to win the World Series, and rapidly approaching an avalanche of critical players hitting free agency.
But wouldn't it be fun if they both accept and embrace that they're going to have to basically start over from scratch in 2025 and just go all-in on trying to win it all either this year or next?
Well, trading for Scherzer would be even more of an all-in move than when the Brewers made that C.C. Sabathia trade back in 2008.
Scherzer is making $43.3 million this year, which is still around $15 million in prorated salary. That would probably push Milwaukee's year-end 40-man payroll north of $140 million for the first time ever.
But the real cost will be next year, when Scherzer has a player option for $43.3 million, and when Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez are all in their final years of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency.
Just between those five guys and the $26 million owed to Christian Yelich, you're talking around $110 million. By the time they fill out the rest of the roster, they could be looking at an Opening Day payroll of more than $175 million in 2024.
But if the Padres could afford to start doling out a bunch of massive long-term deals out of nowhere in recent years, surely the Brewers could find a way to pay a ballooned budget for one season in hopes of finally winning a World Series.
The big question in all of this is: What do the eight-games-below-.500 Mets want in return aside from salary relief?
Because of his salary, the trade simulator at Baseball Trade Values puts Scherzer's median trade value at negative-7.3* and would say that virtually any trade package is an overpay by the Brewers.
But even if it does help clear the books in preparation for a big offseason offer to Shohei Ohtani, the Mets aren't going to just "sell" Scherzer to the Brewers for cash considerations. Milwaukee would at least need to toss a solid pitching prospect to New York, which Misiorowski is.
(Scherzer has a full no-trade clause, but that only means he has to agree to the relocation proposal.)
*Negative-7.3 is also what it says Randy Dobnak is worth—a pitcher with a career ERA of 4.94 and bWAR of negative-0.2 who has made just one appearance in an MLB game in the past two calendar years. This trade values formula isn't exactly perfect for high-priced players.
