MLB Trade Rumors: 4 Fan Favorites Who Could Be Traded

For fans, the weeks leading up to the trade deadline can be a polarizing period.

There are the fans who appreciate the business side of sports and plead for their team to trade off aging, valuable pieces in the hopes that the prospects they receive in return will pay dividends down the road.

Conversely, there are legions of fans who believe an organization should be as loyal to its players as they are to the franchise, that trading away fan favorites after years of service is disrespectful and that certain players should retire wearing their team's uniform. 

Seeing a hometown hero wearing another team's threads is one of the toughest parts of fanhood.

We cheer these men on, invite them into our team's history and family and even name candy bars after them. It's all in an effort to feel attached, which ultimately makes the departure of our favorite players even harder to handle. 

Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

Kevin Youkilis is the quintessential fan favorite.

He's a product of the Red Sox farm system, has played his entire career in Boston and represented the team in several All-Star games.

Youk has been a selfless member of the Sox, appearing at 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF. His scruffy beard and play-any-position approach embody the rag-tag "we're not the clean-cut Yankees" attitude the Fenway faithful love. 

That said, it seems to be an issue of when—not if—the Red Sox will trade Youk.

Will Middlebrooks has continued to put up fantastic numbers in his rookie campaign, making Youkilis expendable, especially considering how injuries have plagued him over the last few seasons. 

Youk's current stat line of .216/.299/.345 marks career lows and makes his lack of production in 2011 look like the beginning of his decline rather than a statistical aberration.

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the Sox are shopping him around to the entire league and are willing to pick up some of his contract to facilitate a transaction.

Rosenthal and Morosi specifically mention the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates as potential landing spots for Youk.

Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians

While he isn't homegrown talent, Travis Hafner has played all but his rookie season in Cleveland and has been a mainstay of their lineup for ten seasons. His endearing nickname "Pronk" (part the project, part donkey) was plastered all over Cleveland with "Pronkville" in the right field mezzanine of Progressive field and the "Pronk Bar" being sold around the city. 

He has put up solid career numbers, batting .279 with an OBP of .383 and SLG of .508, but Hafner is a 35-year-old DH in the last year of his contract (with a 2013 club option).

There were rumors of Hafner being involved in a deal for A.J. Burnett this past offseason. If the Tribe slip out of the race for first in the AL Central, don't be surprised to see them start shopping him again. 

Carlos Lee, Houston Astros

Carlos Lee bounced around the majors with several teams before landing in Houston for the 2007 season. He has enjoyed playing in Houston and was cemented as a bona fide fan favorite with the creation of his cheering section, Los Caballitos.

With the Astros in full rebuilding mode, it's hard to imagine they won't try and trade a 36-year-old in the final year of his contract.

Lee's contract may cause some issues, however, as it grants him the ability to block trades to certain clubs. While this may make finding a partner a bit more difficult, Lee is enjoying a nice start to the 2012 season, batting .300 with a .355 OBP—both significantly higher than his previous two years' production. 

This uptick shows he might still have more in the tank, especially if he moves to the AL where he can DH, and makes him attractive to a contender looking to add a bat to their lineup. 

Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs

Ryan Dempster has been a linchpin of the Cubs' starting rotation for nine seasons, making the All-Star team in 2008 and appearing as the Opening Day starter in 2011 and 2012.

His performance aside, he's become a fan favorite on the north side for being a leader in the clubhouse and a fun personality that is always willing to take time out of his day for fans. 

The news of Dempster being sent to the DL for tightness in his throwing shoulder puts a damper on trade talks, but the Cubs are looking to sell off some of their valuable veterans and few are performing quite as well as Dempster right now.

Assuming he returns from the 15-day DL, Dempster will likely be dealt.

The righty has enjoyed a resurgent 2012 campaign, as his 2.11 ERA is currently third best in the majors and his 1.02 WHIP is twelfth best. His 3-3 record isn't quite indicative of the season he's had.

With a healthy recovery, teams looking to add an experienced arm to their rotation will certainly be interested in Dempster.