MLB Trade Speculation: Prospects from Each Team Who Could Be Dealt

With the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics opening the season in Japan this week, the rest of the league is still hard at work in spring training, with each team deciding which players should or shouldn't make the roster, and which holes will be left unfilled when the season starts.

There's no doubt that a number of trades will take place this year, and you'd have to believe that a number of prospects who are getting their chance at camp will be on the move.

While it's difficult to decide just who could be available at any given time, it seems that few players in teams' systems are really "untouchable."

Arizona Diamondbacks: Charles Brewer

Despite a pretty strong spring performance, the Arizona Diamondbacks optioned starting pitcher Charles Brewer back to the minor leagues.

He's been solid during his minor league career, posting a 23-11 record with a 2.45 ERA  in three seasons between Single- and Double-A.

Atlanta Braves: Randall Delgado

With the Atlanta Braves possibly looking to upgrade their offense, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them move one of their many pitching prospects.

They likely wouldn't dump Julio Teheran, and while Mike Minor could be a candidate for being moved, the team could also consider trading Randall Delgado.

With a mid-90s fastball and good movement on his off-speed pitches, he'd be a good find for the right team.

Baltimore Orioles: L.J. Hoes

Depending on who the Baltimore Orioles would seek this summer, it's hard to envision many of their prospects getting much attention from teams with well-established players.

If they are intent on moving prospects, one option could be L.J. Hoes, the No. 5 prospect in the Orioles system, who at 22 is looking more like a utility player, given his inconsistency at second base.

Boston Red Sox: Ryan Kalish

I guess Ryan Kalish isn't technically a prospect, given the amount of time he put in with the Red Sox as an injury replacement in 2010, but without major league action in 2011, he'll be fighting for time in 2012.

The team likely will continue to pursue pitching options as the season rolls on, and with Kalish buried in the current layout of the Red Sox outfield, he could find himself in a new home if the team pulls the trigger.

Chicago Cubs: Trey McNutt

Trey McNutt was nearly the thousandth player taken in the 2009 draft, but has provided great overall results for a 32nd-round pick.

With a strong fastball and good breaking ball, he could move into the Cubs bullpen at some point, with an eventual move to the rotation a possibility.

It's hard to believe the Cubs would move one of their top prospects, but as we've seen with other organizations, anyone is within reach for the right price.

Chicago White Sox: Charlie Leesman

Charlie Leesman must have made somewhat of an impression on the Chicago White Sox, as his multiple spring training appearances have yielded certain results.

At the same time, he's a bit older than you'd expect for a pitcher who should be blossoming into a major league role by this point. He appears to still be missing something.

He could find use with the White Sox if they move some other relievers in their staff, otherwise could easily be moved.

Cincinnati Reds: None

Having moved many of their top-end prospects this past winter in an effort to acquire Mat Latos to lead the starting rotation, the Cincinnati Reds will likely focus on retaining their remaining prospects.

Cleveland Indians: Jason Kipnis

Since being selected in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft, Jason Kipnis has vaulted his way through the Cleveland Indians system, batting .297 with a .863 OPS along the way.

He got a chance to play for the Indians last season, appearing in 36 games and batting .272 in 150 plate appearances.

Colorado Rockies: Christian Friedrich

The Colorado Rockies No. 1 draft pick in 2008, Christian Friedrich has failed to live up to most expectations with the team, going 9-16 over the past two seasons with an ERA hovering north of 5.00.

After once being considered one of the top 25 prospects in the game, he's declined to the point where he's easily expendable.

Detroit Tigers: Jacob Turner

The Detroit Tigers certainly made a big splash this offseason when they won the bidding for the services of Prince Fielder, and now they have their own version of the bash brothers set to torture AL Central pitching all season long.

Their own pitching is also looking solid, with ace Justin Verlander leading the way. They could still use some help in the back end of the rotation.

While they do have options like Jacob Turner available, the Tigers still may opt to look outside the organization to fill any voids.

Houston Astros: Jio Mier

Since the Houston Astros are in rebuilding mode while preparing to make a move to the American League, they may not really be in the market to actively shop prospects, but would more likely obtain prospects in exchange for veterans that could be making their way out.

Jio Mier was a first-round pick of the Astros in 2009. Playing only in Class-A ball since then, he has batted only .244, while keeping an on-base percentage around .341.

Kansas City Royals: Wil Myers

The Kansas City Royals appear to have the catcher of the future in Salvador Perez. However, with an injury putting him on the bench for the near future, those plans have likely been put on hold.

Wil Myers may be an immediate option for the team, but if the catching prospect doesn't fit into the long-term picture, they may opt to trade him for pitching help, as was rumored this past offseason.

Los Angeles Angels: Alexi Amarista

Alexi Amarista did make a brief debut with the Los Angeles Angels last season, batting .296 in 16 games of action.

The middle infielder has played well once again this spring, but with a number of other options available in their system, he may be better suited as a trade piece to obtain help in other areas.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Stephen Fife

Right-handed starter Stephen Fife, who struggled a bit in the Boston Red Sox system in 2010, made great strides in 2011, notching an 11-4 record with a 3.74 ERA.

He's going to need to make a positive impression on the Dodgers organization this season, as his struggles in the Arizona Fall League may be forcing the team's confidence to wear thin.

Miami Marlins: Matt Dominguez

The Miami Marlins appear to have the left side of their infield locked in for the foreseeable future, with Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes set to revive the franchise as they head into their new stadium.

With those two already locked in, there may be room to move a prospect like Matt Dominguez, who has worked his way up through the organization since being drafted 12th overall in 2007.

Milwaukee Brewers: Cody Scarpetta

Throughout four seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league system, starting pitcher Cody Scarpetta has utilized an overall 21-28 record and 3.68 ERA to work his way up to Double-A this past season, when he went 8-5 with a 3.85 ERA.

With Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke in the final year of their contracts, there's a possibility the team may need to look to their system for a formidable starter. If they opt to make a trade for one instead, there probably aren't many prospects that are untouchable.

Minnesota Twins: Aaron Hicks

The Minnesota Twins have been waiting for years to see Aaron Hicks emerge as a minor league stud, but he hasn't impressed both fans and the organizations nearly as expected.

With players like Chris Parmelee, Trevor Plouffe, Ben Revere and Joe Benson improving at a much faster rate and Denard Span and Josh Willingham locked in for the next few years, there's too much of a logjam in the outfield to expect all these outfielders to remain in the organization.

New York Mets: Mike Baxter

There's some indications right now that left-handed-hitting outfielder Mike Baxter may be in line for a spot on the Opening Day roster for the New York Mets, thanks in part to a strong spring performance.

According to the team's depth chart, however, Baxter doesn't appear locked into even a backup role for the Mets right now. Either way, the New York native appears to have a bright future in the league and could be a valuable piece for the Mets, or any other team, once he hits his stride.

New York Yankees: Manny Banuelos

The New York Yankees have had prospects like Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos in their organization for a little while now, and while they appeared to be the future of the rotation for the team, acquisitions of Michael Pineda, Hiroki Kuroda and the return of Andy Pettite have put those plans on hold.

Manny Banuelos has a great arsenal of pitches, and if the Yankees are willing to part with the prized prospect, they should be able to fill another position in doing so.

Oakland Athletics: A.J. Cole

20-year-old A.J. Cole made his way to the Oakland Athletics organization this offseason after being drafted in 2010 by the Washington Nationals.

He went 4-7 last year with a 4.04 ERA in 18 starts with the Nationals' Single-A affiliate. Though he's currently ranked as the 57th-best pre-2012 prospect according to Baseball America, he's still quite a ways off from making any waves at the major league level.

Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis

At one time seen as the potential successor to Jimmy Rollins as the Philadelphia Phillies' shortstop, Freddy Galvis saw those plans get put on hold when Rollins signed a multi-year extension with the team this past offseason.

Since the team doesn't have any plans to move him from his current position, it doesn't seem like there's an everyday fit for Galvis with the Phillies, meaning he could become expendable if there's a need defined in another position that would be filled externally.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Robbie Grossman

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an interesting prospect on their hands in Robbie Grossman, as the outfielder sort of seems out of place no matter where he plays, lacking speed for center field and power for a typical corner.

He'll no doubt be in the minors to start the season, but he does have enough upside to potentially garner some interest from other suitors if his name is thrown into the ring. 

San Diego Padres: Donovan Tate

After a poor first season in the San Diego Padres' rookie league, Donovan Tate woke up a bit in 2011, batting .288 in 39 games in Single-A Eugene and Fort Wayne.

He's certainly a young prospect that has the tools to have great upside, but issues with his personality and flaws in his swing are apparently weighing down hopes for his improvement.

San Francisco Giants: Conor Gillaspie

Having been in the San Francisco Giants organization since 2008 when he was drafted in the first round, it's almost hard to believe Conor Gillaspie hasn't made more of an impact at the major league level.

He's continued to show promise at the plate and is a consistent hitter that could be valuable both in the Giants system, as well as another organization, should the team deem him a potential trade candidate.

Seattle Mariners: James Paxton

With one of the best prospect talent pools in Major League Baseball, the Seattle Mariners should have no problem filling any voids in the coming season as they look to contend in the resurgent AL West, soon to be expanded to five teams.

The Mariners' have a prospect in James Paxton who currently ranks 77th in baseball, and had a very strong 2011 campaign, posting a 2.37 ERA in 17 starts.

With a number of other arms in their system ranked higher, Paxton is the type of player who could be valuable to another team, while still being expendable for his current team.

St. Louis Cardinals: Carlos Martinez

It's sometimes a tough decision to get rid of a prospect as young as Carlos Martinez, as it's pretty difficult to assess exactly what he can be in the long term.

At the same time, the prospect of not having a player in your major league organization for potentially four or five years also makes it easier to move him, since more immediate returns can be a more urgent need.

Martinez is an exciting figure with good heat and the ability to throw great off-speed pitches. Still very raw talent, but could be valuable in the future.

Tampa Bay Rays: Chris Archer

The Tampa Bay Rays appear to have been making a pretty strong play at acquiring Kurt Suzuki from the Oakland Athletics, but weren't willing to part with anything that would interest Billy Beane.

A prospect like Chris Archer could help turn the tables, but the Rays don't seem intent on giving away certain pieces, so unless their desire for Suzuki really increases, a deal could be hard to complete.

Texas Rangers: Martin Perez

Struggling a bit in the farm system's highest level in 2011, Martin Perez pitched his way to a 4-4 record with a 6.43 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Round Rock.

He's been named as a potential trade candidate for the Rangers, heading to Minnesota in exchange for Denard Span. While it's likely the Twins would want more in return, they do have a surplus of outfield talent and could probably be persuaded to make a move.

Toronto Blue Jays: Noah Syndergaard

He may be a ways off in terms of making any appearance in a major league game, but Noah Syndergaard is still garnering plenty of interest around the league.

When the Blue Jays inquired about the availability of Gio Gonzalez this past offseason, Syndergaard was actually a name the A's brought up in terms of compensation.

Washington Nationals: None

After working very hard to ensure that the team had a very fortified starting rotation, the Washington Nationals sit four prospects short after trading for Oakland Athletics starter Gio Gonzalez.

They'll likely hold onto the prospects they have, as the nucleus they have built could be poised to turn many heads as it sits right now.