MLB Trade Scenarios: 15 Biggest Injuries and a Trade That Will Fill the Hole

The Major League Baseball season can wear down even the toughest of players. However, some players are unfortunately battling injuries already and leaving major holes in their vacated positions.

Even though the season is definitely young, here are 15 teams that might want to think about hitting the trade market. Wins and losses count as much right now as they do in September, so it is definitely important for these teams to make sure that certain injuries and subsequent holes do not create too much of a liability right now.

I hope you enjoy this slideshow, and definitely let me know if you have any comments!

St. Louis Cardinals and Chris Carpenter

The Injury

Chris Carpenter is suffering from nerve inflammation, and he is not expected back for quite a bit of time. That is obviously a rather large problem for the St. Louis Cardinals, who are counting on him to pair with Adam Wainwright and help continue on the path for a second consecutive championship.

The reason that the St. Louis Cardinals need to make a trade right now is because the National League Central is relatively open. With the departure of Albert Pujols from St. Louis and Prince Fielder from the Milwaukee Brewers, this division has definitely become more wide open. The Cardinals need to put themselves in a position to be the front-runners once again, and a solid pitching rotation would definitely help with that.

The Trade Target

A possible trade option for the Cardinals would be Jake Peavy of the Chicago White Sox. Because of his relative ineffectiveness over the past few years, his price target would not be incredibly high. He was, however, one of the best pitchers in baseball at one time.

The Cardinals will not want to overpay since Carpenter will be back this season, but Peavy would be an option with excellent potential without carrying the price of someone like James Shields.

Cincinnati Reds and Ryan Madson

The Injury

Ryan Madson is going to miss all of this season after he tore a ligament in his pitching elbow. He ended up needing Tommy John surgery, so the Cincinnati Reds will be missing their closer. While they do have a very strong bullpen, this will be a damaging blow and should force the Reds to make a move relatively soon.

Like the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds need to realize that the National League Central is open for a new front-runner. However, if Cincinnati is not able to finish up games, it might lose some games that it should be winning. In fact, it will face many of its inter-division rivals in April, so a quick move would definitely help Cincinnati win these games.

The Trade Target

Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals would be a great option for the Reds to take a look at. He has been a setup man for Drew Storen and excelled in that role. The Nationals also have a very strong bullpen, so they might be willing to trade from their strength.

Although Madson will return next season, it is definitely important for the Reds to try to run right now, and Clippard is ready to become a big-time closer.

Boston Red Sox and John Lackey

The Injury

John Lackey had Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2012 season. The major problem for the Boston Red Sox lies in the fact that the American League East is incredibly competitive.

The New York Yankees will always be talented. The Tampa Bay Rays will remain as talented as they have been the past few years. The Toronto Blue Jays had a fabulous spring training and seem to be on the verge of becoming another power.

The Red Sox need to make sure that they are ready to compete in this type of division, so they need to have experienced pitchers throughout the entire rotation. Right now, they are experimenting with Daniel Bard in the starting rotation and Felix Doubront will hold another spot in that rotation. Both of them might be fine, but their lack of experience will not be beneficial.

The Trade Target

Boston will need to do better than this, and could do that by trading for Matt Garza of the Chicago Cubs. His name was floated around the trade block all winter, but he never actually moved. Although his record has not been pretty, he will receive a lot more run support with the Red Sox. Therefore, they shouldn't be scared off by his record.

Garza has a very capable arm, and the Red Sox should be very interested in him as another piece for their rotation.

Philadelphia Phillies and Chase Utley

The Injury

Chase Utley had been fighting with his knees for a pretty long time. The Phillies have decided that young Freddy Galvis will fill in at second base until Utley is able to return. The only problem with that is that the Philadelphia Phillies have very limited infield depth, and if anyone else gets injured, they could be in quite a bit of trouble.

I know that I might sound a bit pessimistic by suggesting that other players might get injured, but baseball is a difficult game. Injuries happen all the time, and teams always need to be prepared to fill in whatever gap arises. Because of the injuries that the Phillies have already sustained to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, they are a bit thin in that area.

The Trade Target

The Phillies need to trade for Blake DeWitt of the Chicago Cubs. Utley is a very tough player and should return rather quickly as a result. However, until that time, certain players might get injured or just need a day off. Acquiring a backup player at a low cost would add that depth that they have been lacking.

Toronto Blue Jays and Dustin McGowan

The Injury

Dustin McGowan is going to miss substantial time this season, and the Toronto Blue Jays will definitely miss arm in the rotation. Like I mentioned on a previous slide, the Blue Jays are looking more and more like a contender every year.

Just like the Boston Red Sox, they need to continue to bolster their rotation and remain competitive in the American League East. In that division, there is going to be a lot of pressure and a lot of very strong opposing offenses. The Blue Jays have a very young rotation by and large, so they could very well have a difficult time surviving in this atmosphere.

McGowan is not necessarily a veteran, but he is more of a veteran than a majority of the rotation and has had a decent amount of success throughout his career.

The Trade Target

Toronto would do well to trade for someone like Joe Blanton of the Philadelphia Phillies. Blanton is not necessarily a front-of-the-rotation arm. However, he will be able to pitch a lot of innings and post numbers similar to what McGowan has historically done.

He also has experience pitching for the Phillies in the very competitive National League East, so his experience would be a major asset for the Blue Jays at a relatively low cost.

Cleveland Indians and Grady Sizemore

The Injury

Grady Sizemore has battled injuries for the past three seasons. This season, he is recovering from back surgery. The Cleveland Indians might need to think about moving on and finding another option to help them in the future.

The Indians are easily the second-best team in the American League Central behind the Detroit Tigers. It might be a tall order for the Indians to compete with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Texas Rangers and three of the AL East powers for the wild-card spots. Nonetheless, they need to make an investment for the future right now and begin to move on.

The Trade Target

A great option for the Cleveland Indians would be to acquire Gerardo Parra from the Arizona Diamondbacks. A Gold Glove winner last season, Parra also hits for a decent average and is be able to run pretty well.

The Diamondbacks currently have four outfielders capable of starting—Justin Upton, Chris Young, Jason Kubel and, of course, Parra—so moving one of them could definitely be possible and would be beneficial to both sides.

Boston Red Sox and Andrew Bailey

The Injury

Andrew Bailey was thought to be the answer to the departure of Jonathan Papelbon. He had been very good with the Oakland Athletics, but he will probably not see the mound until around the All-Star break after having thumb surgery in April.

The problem with this picture is that the Boston Red Sox play in a division where a lot of runs can come very quickly. Every team in the American League East has some type of power hitter who is able to change the game with one swing.

That is why closers are so important.

Games lost in the bottom of the ninth are especially damaging to team morale, and are ultimately a major problem. Without Andrew Bailey, the Red Sox need someone who will be able to slam the door shut once and for all.

The Trade Target

Because of that necessity, it would be worthwhile for the Red Sox to look at Matt Thornton of the Chicago White Sox. Over his career, he has been good at inducing ground balls, which would be valuable in Fenway Park.

The White Sox also might be willing to trade him because they are definitely not going to overtake the American League Central this year. Young talent would be valuable to them, while the Red Sox could use an arm like Thornton to solidify their bullpen.

Colorado Rockies and Jorge De La Rosa

The Injury

Jorge De La Rosa had a banner year in 2009 when he went 16-9. As a respectable part of the Colorado Rockies' pitching rotation, he will be missed as he recovers from a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Although the Rockies have been pleasantly surprised by the seemingly ageless Jamie Moyer, the hole left by De La Rosa is relatively large.

De La Rosa has the potential to be the second-best starting pitcher in the Rockies rotation behind only Jeremy Guthrie. The National League West is not incredibly competitive, however, so an acquisition to solidify the rotation would help the Rockies finish near the top.

They have a talented and high-powered offense led by Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. If their pitching staff can keep up, they could fight for a playoff spot.

The Trade Target

The Rockies don't necessarily need a top-of-the-rotation starter. Rather, Colorado should look into Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros. The Astros are most likely going to be the worst team in baseball this year. Therefore, they have all the incentive in the world to try to ship off Rodriguez in exchange for prospects.

Rodriguez would provide the Rockies with another solid arm and help them compete for the NL West.

Oakland Athletics and Brett Anderson

The Injury

Brett Anderson will not be returning until August as a result of Tommy John surgery. Although the Oakland Athletics are not expected to do very much in the American League West this year with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim extraordinarily strong, it would still be beneficial for them to try to fill this hole.

The A's seem to be interested in taking risks. They brought in Manny Ramirez because he was one of the best hitters in baseball, obviously hoping that some of that player is still around.

That is how they will want to approach the trade market in this situation as well.

They need to find some type of pitcher who might pay off with a huge reward yet at a low price. Oakland still needs to be focused on the future because it has a ton of young talent, but a simple trade would help in the present.

The Trade Target

Trading for someone like Randy Wolf of the Milwaukee Brewers would be a solid move for the Athletics. He is older, and he has considerable experience as a respectable middle-of-the-rotation option. While his price tag might be a little bit high, he is the type of player the A's need to be looking at.

They need a quality pitcher who is somewhat older and oftentimes undervalued.

Atlanta Braves and Tim Hudson

The Injury

Tim Hudson is still recovering from back surgery, but the Atlanta Braves might need help sooner rather than later. The National League East is going to be hard on them. The Philadelphia Phillies remain one of the best teams in baseball while the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins have made incredible strides this winter.

Because of that, the Braves can't fall behind early. I have been predicting that the Nationals will take one of those wild-card spots anyway. However, if Atlanta wants to prove me wrong, it's going to do it with its pitching.

Brian McCann and Dan Uggla lead the lineup, with the latter virtually embodying the definition of an all-or-nothing hitter. Therefore, pitchers are very important to them.

The Trade Target

Honestly, I think that the Braves will be able to fill this hole with some of their young, talented pitchers. I would argue that because of Hudson's injury, what they really need is to score more runs. With a less talented pitcher on the mound, they will need more run support from that lineup.

Aubrey Huff of the San Francisco Giants might be a very interesting option. His price tag would be low because he had a difficult 2011, but when he is hitting well, he can provide a lot of offense in the middle of the lineup. Also, if Chipper Jones continues to fight with injuries, Martin Prado would be available to play third base.

Overall, the injury to Hudson means that the biggest hole that Atlanta has is in run production.

Philadelphia Phillies and Ryan Howard

The Injury

Ryan Howard tore his Achilles' tendon on the final out of the Philadelphia Phillies' 2011 playoff run. This winter, the Phillies have tried to make moves to fill this hole by bringing back fan favorite Jim Thome as well as trading for utility man Ty Wigginton.

Although Howard does strike out far too much, he is definitely a run-producer in the middle of the Philadelphia Phillies lineup, and that is the hole that they need to fill. It doesn't necessarily matter that these runs are produced by a first baseman, but it ultimately matters that the runs are scored.

Since the Phillies made an effort already to fill first base, there is another way that they would be able to fill the run-production hole vacated by Howard.

The Trade Target

I know I might be going out on a bit of a limb with this choice, but Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim would make a lot of sense for the Phillies. He is definitely a powerful presence in the lineup, but he is learning how to play third base.

Unfortunately, that means that he will also be more valuable to the Angels and therefore harder to trade for. His impact in the middle of the lineup might not quite be as large as Howard's, but he is a similar type of hitter.

New York Yankees and Michael Pineda

The Injury

Michael Pineda has a sore shoulder and isn't likely to be back until May. That is definitely an unfortunate turn of events for the New York Yankees, as they traded prized prospect Jesus Montero to bring Pineda to the Big Apple.

The Yankees are currently the front-runners in the American League East. Because of the expectations, any sign of weakness will not be a good thing. Other teams gain momentum when front-runners falter, and that division is too strong to give anyone an advantage.

Pineda has the potential to be a dominant pitcher, so the Yankees need to find some way to regain what he would have provided.

The Trade Target

Of course, New York has plenty of options internally to round out the rotation, and Andy Pettitte will be returning to the major leagues shortly. However, if they do need more support, the Yankees will need someone who will not be extraordinarily expensive but able to fill a spot.

Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals could be a very nice acquisition. Now might not be the best time to try to pry a pitcher away from the Cardinals, who are already missing Chris Carpenter. If Pineda takes longer than expected to return and other options internally don't work out, Lohse would still be a very nice choice.

San Diego Padres and Carlos Quentin

The Injury

Carlos Quentin came to the San Diego Padres to be the run-producer they desperately need in the middle of their lineup. Unfortunately, he needed right knee surgery and won't be back until the end of April.

Hopefully all things will progress well for him. There haven't been any setbacks so far, but the Padres still have a month to figure out where to get some run production. There is no denying that pitching is still their strength, and any trade wouldn't change that. However, you need runs to win games.

That is why, even without considering that injury, San Diego should be looking to add offense anyway.

The Trade Target

Third base is a position where power production is definitely expected. Chase Headley is a fine third baseman, but he doesn't provide the run production that the Padres definitely need. Therefore, they should look into acquiring David Wright from the New York Mets.

The Mets realize that they are not going to compete for the division title this season, so it is definitely possible that Wright will be on the trading block.

Once Quentin returns to the lineup, the Padres would have a very nice core. Until then, Wright would be able to support an offense that will struggle putting runs across the plate.

Tampa Bay Rays and Kyle Farnsworth

The Injury

Kyle Farnsworth is known for his cannon of an arm, and the Tampa Bay Rays were looking to him to help solidify the back end of their bullpen for a second season. However, he is currently suffering from a right elbow sprain. It will be a substantial amount of time before he is able to get back on the mound and start finishing out games again.

Since their bullpen is not overly deep to begin with, it would be best to leave Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney in the setup roles where they have done exceptionally well.

Having three strong arms in the bullpen to handle the end of the game is much better than only having two.

The Trade Target

The Rays should consider bringing back Jason Isringhausen from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to help finish out games. He did very well when he was with Tampa Bay in 2009 and put together a solid season with the New York Mets last year.

He has experience closing games, and even though he might be a bit past his prime, Farnsworth will be returning eventually. Therefore, acquiring Isringhausen would not be incredibly costly and would fill a hole for the Rays.

New York Yankees and Joba Chamberlain

The Injury

Joba Chamberlain has one of the best names in baseball by far, but he is going to miss some time this year after he tore his MCL and dislocated his ankle. There has not been an official return date released yet, but he is an important part of the New York Yankees bullpen. They need to patch that hole up—especially if his recovery takes a long time.

The Yankees still have a very strong bullpen even without Chamberlain. Mariano Rivera is as trustworthy as any closer in baseball, and David Robertson was an excellent setup man last season. However, Chamberlain is still important because teams need players who can bridge the gap between the starters and the final two men.

The Trade Target

The Houston Astros will again be one of the weakest teams in baseball, so they will most definitely be looking to sell off some of their older pieces. Brett Myers still has value, and he has been effective out of the bullpen at points in his career. The Astros will also want to move him so that Wilton Lopez will be able to take on his eventual role as a closer.

All in all, the Yankees could use additional depth while they wait for Chamberlain to return, and the Astros will want to sell off their older pieces. Makes sense to me.

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