Matt Cain Trade Talk: 5 Teams That Will Offer a Monster Deadline Package

Matt Cain’s contract with the San Francisco Giants expires after this year, and extension talks are not going well.

If the Giants fail to lock up Cain, fall out of contention during the season and are pessimistic about the chances of re-signing Cain once he hits free agency, it would not be surprising to see the Giants field trade offers from other clubs looking for a young stud.

Let’s be clear: trading for Cain would be very expensive. At only 27, pitchers of Cain’s age and talent are not usually available in trades nor in free agency.

Here are five teams that would still be likely to push hard to acquire Cain, and would have the resources to acquire him. Intentionally left out are the Cubs and Dodgers, even though they will probably push hard to land a free agent pitcher next winter, whether it be Cain, Zack Greinke or Cole Hamels.

The Cubs were left out because Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are working hard to rebuild the team’s farm system so it would be unlikely to trade any youngsters, and the Dodgers were omitted because it’s hard to imagine the Giants trading an ace like Matt Cain to their biggest rival.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays are quietly building a team that could already contend in any division other than their own.

While they are still probably at least a year away from being able to contend in AL East, Matt Cain could put them right in a race as soon as next year, especially under the new playoff format that added a Wild Card team to each league.

The Jays certainly have the prospects necessary to acquire Cain from the Giants.

ESPN's Keith Law ranked the Jays’ farm system as the third best in the majors (Insider required).

They have five prospects in Law’s top 100 prospects in the majors in Travis d’Arnaud (catcher, number 6), Drew Hutchinson (pitcher, number 42), Jake Marisnick (outfielder, number 47), Anthony Gose (outfielder, number 59) and Aaron Sanchez (pitcher, number 96). (Insider required.)

With the Giants need for hitting, maybe a package that includes at least two of d’Arnaud, Marisnick and Gose would be appealing to San Francisco.

The Jays would probably only trade for Cain if they could sign him to an extension, but if Cain is open to such a deal, expect the Jays to make a push for him.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have spent a lot of money over the last several years on the farm system and their prospects are finally getting closer to the majors.

They were able to contend in the NL Central for the first half of last season.

Their offseason additions of Erik Bedard, AJ Burnett and Casey McGehee, as well as the long-term extension given to Andrew McCutchen, show that the Pirates think they are getting closer to contending for a full season.

Not only would trading for Cain and signing him long-term improve the team now and in the future, but it would also show the fans that the Pirates, who haven’t finished .500 or made the playoffs since 1992, are serious about becoming a winner once again.

While 2011 No.1 overall amateur draft pick Gerrit Cole and 2010 No.2 overall pick Jameson Taillon are probably off the table, the Pirates do have three quality outfielders in their system that could be enticing to the Giants: Josh Bell, Starling Marte and Robbie Grossman.

The Bucs would certainly be a long-shot to land Matt Cain, but it would make a lot of sense for them to make a push.

St. Louis Cardinals

Despite coming off an improbable World Series run, the Cardinals have questions about the top of their starting rotation.

Chris Carpenter has already hurt his neck in Spring Training, and Adam Wainwright hasn’t pitched since 2010 following Tommy John surgery.

They are also both due to hit free agency after 2013, and it’s questionable whether the Cards will be able to hold on to both.

It would make a lot of sense for them to go after Matt Cain for this year, to compete with the Phillies’ 1-2-3 combo of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, and for the future to protect them in case they lose either Carpenter or Wainwright, or both.

The Cards have the resources to trade for Cain without depleting the farm system, and perhaps an offer of Carlos Martinez (pitcher, number 22 on Keith Law’s list of top 100 MLB prospects), Oscar Tavarez (outfielder, number 53) and another well-regarded prospect would do the trick.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals’ are loaded with young bats that are breaking into the majors, but they do not have the pitching needed that could make the team a contender in 2013 or 2014.

Think about this: the Royals’ own depth chart lists the current rotation as Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Jonathan Sanchez, Felipe Paulino and Danny Duffy.

Prospect Mike Montgomery will probably join the rotation at some point this year, but I think I’ve made my point: the Royals need pitching.

With all the hitters they have in their system, why not make a run at Cain?

Giving up Will Myers or Bubba Starling would certainly be a blow for their system, but offering one of the two, or another top hitting prospect, plus another hitter might get a deal done with the Giants, and if they can lock up Cain long-term, the Royals begin to look like a strong contender in a weak AL Central.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers, in a way, have an embarrassment of riches: a great line-up, a great bullpen, and a great farm-system.

Yet they “only” have a good starting rotation, one without an ace.

Beyond Yu Darvish, who has yet to prove himself in America, their 2012 rotation could include Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando.

Why not use, say, Ogando and a couple of high-level prospects (of which the Rangers have several) to make their rotation great as well?

They could offer Mike Olt, a 23-year old third baseman who probably only needs one or two more years in the minors (and is blocked at the position anyways by Adrian Beltre), and another prospect along with Ogando or another major-league pitcher to acquire him.

They could then use some of the resources from their mammoth TV deal with Fox Sports Southwest to lock him up long-term.

If the Rangers do acquire Matt Cain, the rest of the American League should be very afraid.

The Giants would still love to hold on to Matt Cain and sign him to a contract extension, but if they do not feel they can contend for a championship this year and are pessimistic about their chances of re-signing him, it would make sense for them to deal him and help rebuild a very weak farm system.

If they do decide to trade him, there will be a long list of teams lining up to acquire him.