MLB Trade Scenarios: 10 Moves You Won't See Coming

Outside of the A.J. Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates trade talks, there are bound to be some other moves made that no one sees coming.

For the most part, every team's roster is set as we head into the final weeks before spring training. The major free-agent signing period is over. The list of arbitration-eligible players who have yet to sign is getting smaller every day.

Even the teams that hoped to make a trade have done so already. However, that doesn't mean organizations have stopped looking for potential trade partners. Nyjer Morgan wasn't traded to the Milwaukee Brewers until March 27 of last year. Last time I checked, we are still in February.

Here's a list of 10 trades that could happen that you never would've seen coming.

New York Yankees Trade for Francisco Liriano

Why the New York Yankees Would Do It

Even though the New York Yankees already added Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda to their rotation, it's the Yankees. There is no way they'll become complacent when dealing with their rotation.

Francisco Liriano is one of those low-risk, high-reward type of pitchers. Some days, he has the best stuff in baseball. I don't think very many professional hitters who have faced Liriano on his good days would contest to that. However, it's how often he's on his game that has teams skeptical. His knack for getting injured should also be concerning.

If Liriano is available, the Yankees would be smart to package up a deal to bring him to the Bronx.

Why the Minnesota Twins Would Do It

It's quite simple; Liriano has never been able to pitch at a high level on a consistent basis. This was also Liriano's last year of arbitration eligibility, so he'll be set to become a free agent at the end of the year.  

Baltimore Orioles Trade for Alex Rios

Why the Baltimore Orioles Would Do It

Trading for a player who hit .227 the previous season, and whose contract is worth almost $40 million over the next three years, is always a risky thing. However, I have no doubt that the Chicago White Sox would be willing to eat part of Rios' contract if another team was willing to trade for him.

The Baltimore Orioles are in need of another outfielder. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis have solidified their starting spots, but a player by the name of Nolan Reimold is expected to be the starting left fielder.

Rios would be a ginormous risk, but maybe returning to the AL East is all he needs.

Why the Chicago White Sox Would Do It

It's pretty self-explanatory: If you hit .227 while being paid $12.5 million, any team is going to look to unload your contract.

Pittsburgh Pirates Trade for Brett Myers

Why the Pittsburgh Pirates Would Do It

The question I think we should be asking is, why don't the Pirates make this trade? First of all, he is only two years removed from 14-8 season with the Houston Astros in 2009. Second of all, he would be the far more affordable option in comparison to A.J. Burnett.

Meyers is due $11 million next season before his contract expires. Burnett, on the other hand, is due $33 million over the next three years. Even if the Yankees agree to pay some of that contract, the Pirates will still be left in an unfortunate situation if Burnett continues to pitch the way he has the past two years. If the Pirates want a pitcher, they should inquire about Myers.

Why the Houston Astros Would Do It

Jayson Stark of ESPN reported that the Astros are willing to pay $7 million of the $11 million that Myers is due in 2012. If that's the case, there will certainly be plenty of teams willing to give up a couple of prospects for Myers. Plus, with the money they're willing to pay in order to rid themselves of Myers, it should net them a couple of decent prospects as well.

Toronto Blue Jays Trade for Wandy Rodriguez

Why the Toronto Blue Jays Would Do It

As it turns out, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Blue Jays were actually interested in trading for Wandy Rodriguez before the trade deadline last year. It makes sense, because I believe they are very close to being a contender in the competitive AL East.

The offense is set. The lineup is oozing with up-and-coming talent, as well as sluggers like Jose Bautista, Colby Rasmus and Adam Lind. But what they need is starting pitching. Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow is a nice one-two punch, but they're going to need more than that when going up against the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez would step in and immediately be the No. 2 starter in the rotation.

Why the Houston Astros Would Do It

The Astros are in the beginning stages of a rebuilding process, and Rodriguez will be the third-highest paid player on the roster in 2012. Plus, he's sill under contract for two more seasons, so the Astros will be able to receive some nice compensation in return for Rodriguez.

Since the Blue Jays have a ton of young talent, both in the major leagues and in the farm system, you know the Astros would like to become their trade partners.

Tampa Bay Rays Trade for Brandon League

Why the Tampa Bay Rays Would Do It

The Rays are very close to becoming a complete team. Their pitching rotation could be one of the best in the major leagues. Their offense is solid. Their bullpen as a whole is decent as well. Kyle Farnsworth, the current closing pitcher, also had a fairly good season in 2011. He converted 25 saves and finished with a very impressive 2.18 ERA.

However, it was just his first season acting as the full-time closer for a major league team; there's no guarantee that he'll have another successful season in 2012. Farnsworth will be 36 years old by the time the season starts, so there's no guarantee he can keep throwing his fastball in the mid-90s for much longer.

Brandon League might be a closer who's available. If the Rays can manage to pry League away from the Seattle Mariners, it would vastly improve their bullpen.

Why the Seattle Mariners Would Do It

It's safe to say that the Mariners aren't going anywhere in 2012. The team is young—and old in some aspects—and is at least a couple years away from contending.

They possess a valuable trade chip in League, who proved that he can carry the load as a closer for the duration of the season. And at 28 years old, with a minimal amount of mileage on this throwing arm, he'll be able to bring back some prospects if the Mariners elect to trade him.

Washington Nationals Trade for Marlon Byrd

Why the Washington Nationals Would Do It

Roger Bernadina is slated to be the starting center fielder and bat leadoff on Opening Day for the Washington Nationals. He is certainly a young, exciting player, but it's a position that the Nationals are probably looking to upgrade.

A .301 OBP from the leadoff hitter simply isn't going to cut it in the majors. Marlon Byrd had an excellent 2010 campaign, and he even represented the Chicago Cubs on the All-Star team that year. Adding Byrd to the mix in the outfield would be a good move, especially if Bernadina continues to not get on base.

Why the Chicago Cubs Would Do It

Bryd is currently set to make $6.5 million next season in the final year of his contract. No one is entirely sure what the long-term plans are for the Cubs' organization, but one could venture to say that it's leaning towards a rebuilding process.

It all started with the Cubs letting players like Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena walk, and by trading Carlos Zambrano and Sean Marshall. Now Theo Epstein should try to look for ways to unload Byrd's salary for whatever he can get.

Boston Red Sox Trade for Jeff Francoeur

Why the Boston Red Sox Would Do It

After the Red Sox traded Josh Reddick to the Oakland Athletics, it left them with a gaping hole in right field. Darnell McDonald is currently slated to be the starting right fielder, but the Red Sox are certainly entertaining offers to upgrade at that position.

They also have Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross, but I don't see either of those players being much more productive than McDonald. Jeff Francoeur is coming off of an excellent year in 2011 with the Kansas City Royals. He can probably be acquired for a relatively cheap price.

Why the Kansas City Royals Would Do It

The main reason why the Royals would be willing to part with Francoeur is the abundance of young talent they already have on their roster. Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas will be a great core of offensive players for years to come.

Additionally, according to MLB.com, the Royals have two top outfield prospects, Bubba Starling and Wil Myers, who are ranked in the top 20 prospects to watch in 2012. This should make Francoeur more than expendable.

Atlanta Braves Trade for Alexei Ramirez

Why the Atlanta Braves Would Do It

After the Atlanta Braves decided to let Alex Gonzalez walk, it seems like they are content on letting Tyler Pastornicky have a shot at the starting shortstop position. However, he is relatively new on the scene, as he wasn't even recognized as a top prospect in 2010.

The Braves might want to be patient and see what the rookie can do, but the offense needs help if the Braves want to contend in the competitive NL East. Not only could Alexei Ramirez be a solid bat at the top of their order, but he would bring excellent defense at shortstop as well.

Why the White Sox Would Do It

It's quite obvious that the Chicago White Sox are in the beginning stages of the rebuilding process. They let Mark Buehrle walk, and they traded Carlos Quentin and Sergio Santos. Next on the list should be Ramirez, who would certainly be a hot commodity on the market.

Giving up Ramirez comes with some risk, however. The market for shortstops is thin at the moment, so a quality one is hard to come by. Tyler Saladino is a nice power-hitting shortstop prospect, so he might be enough to give the White Sox the confidence to trade Ramirez.

The Braves' farm system is loaded with talent, so they are ideal trade partners.

Texas Rangers Trade for James Shields

Why the Texas Rangers Would Do It

The Rangers would jump at the idea of acquiring James Shields from the Tampa Bay Rays. He would instantly become their ace and solidify their starting rotation. A big three of Shields, Yu Darvish and Derek Holland looks pretty solid. And don't forget about Alexi Ogando, Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz.

With Shields in the rotation, it would finally be enough to get the Rangers over that hump. Representing the American League in the World Series for two years in a row but coming back empty-handed has got to be tough.

Why the Tampa Bay Rays Would Do It

Let's face it, the Tampa Bay Rays are a small-market team that won't be able to afford Shields after this contract is up after the 2012 season. I'm sure the Rays will try everything to re-sign him, but Shields will probably end up leaving for a long-term contract that pays him twice as much money as the Rays can afford.

So why wouldn't the Rays trade Shields now? They are going to contend for the AL East this year, so holding onto the ace might be a wise decision. However, Shields' value is as high as it'll ever be right now. Plus, they'll still have David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore to hold down the rotation.

If the Rays were to deal Shields to the Rangers, they might get Jurickson Profar, the Rangers' top prospect, in return. I would love that deal if I were the Rays.

St. Louis Cardinals Trade for Joakim Soria

Why the St. Louis Cardinals Would Do It

The Cardinals went with a closer by committee during 2011 after Ryan Franklin couldn't get it done on a consistent basis. Jason Motte and Fernando Salas did adequate jobs filling in, but the Cardinals could still use some help in the bullpen.  

If the Cardinals could find a way to snag Joakim Soria from the Kansas City Royals, he would instantly step in as the closer. Soria had a fantastic year in 2010, as he accumulated 43 saves with a 1.78 ERA. The 2011 campaign wasn't as impressive, but Soria is still one of the league's better closers.

Why the Kansas City Royals Would Do It

This one is a little tricky, but I do believe the Royals are willing to part with Soria. They recently signed Jonathan Broxton, who could very well return to his 2009 form. Moreover, Aaron Crow is a talented reliever who could step in for Soria if he's traded to St. Louis.

Crow actually finished with a 2.76 ERA in 2011. At 24 years old, he was elected to represent the Kansas City Royals in the All-Star game during his rookie year.

The Royals need to bolster their pitching rotation. Maybe they can find a way to pry Carlos Martinez from the Cardinals' farm system?