MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Players Who Need a Change of Scenery

Sometimes MLB players are not comfortable with their team and it is obvious to see: they cannot get in a rhythm, their season starts to go downhill from there, and they just need a change of venue.

Whether it is due to disagreements within a clubhouse or maybe it is just not a correct fit for another reason, there are some MLB players who do not fit in with their current team and could benefit from a trade/release.

I have compiled a list of five MLB players who do not fit in with their team and are in search of a new team to call home. Check it out and let me know what you think!

1. Edinson Volquez, San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are off to one of their worst starts in franchise history, but that does not hinder the fact that there are some players who are constructing an impressive season for the last place Pads.

Edinson Volquez, who was acquired from the Reds in the offseason, is pitching very well and is a possibility to be traded as reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Volquez is 1-2 with a low 2.98 ERA in seven starts this season. Of his seven starts however, he has pitched six of those outings at Petco Park which is great for pitchers since it is a huge ballpark.

However, Volquez has proven himself in the past. Back in 2008, he won 17 games for the Reds and finished with a very respectable 3.21 ERA. He just has struggled with injuries and has not gotten back on track since he set his career high in wins.

The Padres have not supported Volquez while he is on the mound, and that is one of the main reasons he needs to get out of San Diego and find a home where he can expect three to four runs per game.

Volquez could definitely win at least 10 games for a contender if he continues to pitch the way he has in San Diego. 

2. Brad Penny, Free Agent

Brad Penny was released the other day from the Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League and is said to be making his return to the major leagues.

Buster Olney reports that, although Penny had experienced some shoulder problems in the Japanese league, he is clear to go with any team he pleases. Olney says that there are several teams in the market for him as both a starter and a reliever.

Last season, he finished his first and only season with the Detroit Tigers. He pitched to an even 11-11 record with an inflated 5.30 ERA which may have been one of the deciding factors why he left MLB in the first place.

Over his 12 year career in MLB, Penny has posted a 119-99 record and a respectable 4.23 ERA. On two separate occasions, he won 16 games for the Dodgers (2006 and 2007) and 14 games for the 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins.

Penny has not posted the best, most outstanding numbers in his career, but he is an above average pitcher, and he can still get major league hitters out. He is only 33 years-old, and he still has some fight left in him.

Penny obviously needs a change of venue, and wherever he ends up, I think his new team will be happy to have him.

3. Derrek Lee, Free Agent

After leaving the Orioles and finishing the season strong with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, Derrek Lee was not offered a contract that would keep him for the 2012 season. Currently, Lee is a free agent looking for a job.

The Brewers' GM told radio host Trenni Kusnierek that he had spoken with Lee, but nothing came out of that discussion, and nothing will. So, Lee’s name should be in the back of all GM's minds that are looking for a right-handed, power bat.

Last season between the Baltimore Orioles and Pirates, he smacked 19 home runs, drove in 59 RBI and hit .267. Although it was an off year for Lee, he jacked 19 bombs and showed he can still turn around a major league fastball.

Lee’s best year came back in ’05 when he was a member of the Chicago Cubs. He knocked 46 home runs out of the park and drove in 107 RBI while hitting at an impressive .335 clip.

In his career, Lee has gone deep 331 times and has accumulated 1,078 RBI. From 2005 to 2009, he hovered around the .300 mark and hit 20 or more home runs in four of the five seasons (he only played 50 games in 2006).

Yes, he is 36 years-old, but he still has another season in him if anyone is looking for a proven, power bat.

4. Jorge Cantu, Free Agent

The former Tampa Bay Ray Jorge Cantu is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Angels as he opted out of his minor league contract the other day. Cantu is currently looking for a new home reports Steve Adams.

Cantu struggled mightily last season with the Padres. Maybe it was that he was at Petco Park and he wasn't used to hitting in such a large stadium, but he only connected for three home runs through 57 contests. He also failed to hit above the Mendoza line as he finished with a .194 average.

Over his career, he has smashed 104 home runs and driven in 476 RBI with a .271 batting clip in his eight major league seasons. He crushed a career high 29 home runs with the Marlins in ’09, and he jacked 28 with the Rays in his first full season in the majors in 2005.

Teams are probably skeptical about picking up Cantu because of his erratic behavior and his inability to hit consistently at the major league level. However, if there is a team out there looking to fortify its offense with a strong bat, he could be a possibility.

Cantu has not played a game in the majors this season.

5. Miguel Tejada, Baltimore Orioles

It’s official: the Orioles re-signed Miguel Tejada for the third time in his career. There must be something about this 36 year-old former Athletics MVP that keeps drawing the Orioles to him.

It was quite obvious that “Miggy” needed a change from San Francisco, but will the move back to Baltimore be fruitful for both the Orioles and himself? Time will only tell, but I do not really see why they need him.

Maybe a change of venue and really an old, familiar venue, will do the trick for Tejada. In his only season with the Giants last year, he really struggled. He hit just .239 with four home runs and 26 RBI in 91 games.

Back in his heyday with the Orioles and A’s, you mark Tejada down for 25-34 home runs per season and a .300 batting average. He won the MVP award in 2002 with the A’s after he smashed 34 home runs, drove in 131, hit .308, and played in every game that year.

He is a career .285 hitter with 304 home runs. His power numbers and average have steadily declined since leaving Baltimore in 2007, so I do not know if this is a good signing for the Orioles. There is always a chance that he will turn heads and be able to help the Orioles win.

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