MLB Rumors: Latest Trade Talk Surrounding Daniel Murphy, Kyle Seager and More

As the top teams in baseball continue to fight for a World Series title, the rest of the league will spend this time looking for ways to improve for next season.

No matter what a squad did in 2014, front offices usually spend the next few months looking for upgrades both internally and externally. As the prices of free agents continue to rise, one good way to bring in talent is through trades. Fortunately, there are a few quality players who could be available before the start of the 2015 season.

Although none of these potential moves are too close to completion, here is a look at players who could be on the block this winter.

Daniel Murphy, 2B, New York Mets

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Although Daniel Murphy is coming off his first All-Star appearance, his days with the New York Mets could be numbered.

Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com discusses money being an issue regarding his future with the club.

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Murphy earned $5.7 million this season, is eligible for arbitration one more time, then is due to become a free agent after the 2015 season. 

So, basically, it is time for the Mets to decide to retain Murphy via a contract extension or look to get some return before he walks as a free agent in a year. And although Murphy has expressed a willingness to talk contract, Mets officials have shown no inclination to engage him. Apparently they do not view him as $10 million a year player going forward. 

So it’s time to deal. 

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Murphy has turned himself into a quality hitter, batting .289 with nine home runs and 37 doubles this season. This included a poor end to the season, though, as noted by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com:

Still, the big problem with the second baseman is his struggles in the field. According to Baseball Reference, Murphy had a negative defensive WAR in each of the last three seasons, including a mark of minus-1.0 this season.

This puts the player in a tough spot. He could either be an above-average hitter and bad defensive middle infielder or a solid corner infielder who does not have enough power to make it worth playing him at those positions.

There are certainly teams who would love to add Murphy's bat in the lineup, but the Mets would not be out of line trying to trade him this winter.

Jose Iglesias, SS, Detroit Tigers

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Although Jose Iglesias missed all of the 2014 season with shin injuries, he appears on track to be a top player once again in 2015. 

The shortstop passed necessary tests to put weight back on his legs, and the Tigers' head trainer, Kevin Rand, explained his optimism to Chris Iott of MLive.com:

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It was the best possible outcome we could hope for...Basically, it showed that the bone has healed to the point that they feel comfortable now going back to doing lower-body rehabilitation and conditioning and start loading that and see how it goes. 

He's able to start doing lower-body work, lower-body strengthening and lower-body conditioning. He's been limited in what he could do. He could do some pool work, which he had done. He's now going to get into that weight-bearing stage.

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Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe discussed the fact that Iglesias is now likely to remain in Detroit despite some rumors to the contrary. He explained, "There had been some discussion that Iglesias could become trade bait, but it’s expected he will pick up where he left off as one of the top defensive shortstops in baseball."

The Tigers saw their shortstops combine to bat just .223 this season with six home runs, with Eugenio Suarez and Andrew Romine taking most of the work. Obviously, the squad will hope Iglesias can provide more production for the perennial contenders.

Still, there will be plenty of teams interested if the 24-year-old player was made available. Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes Iglesias would be a top option to replace Derek Jeter on the New York Yankees.

No matter what happens, Detroit will hope the young star can get healthy so he can provide value either on the team or off it.

Kyle Seager, 3B, Seattle Mariners

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Almost everything went poorly this season for the Boston Red Sox, but a major issue was getting production from players at third base. Will Middlebrooks and Brock Holt combined for just three home runs while being inconsistent in pretty much every facet of the game.

Tim Britton of The Providence Journal also noted Middlebrooks was asked to play in winter ball but refused:

It would not be surprising if his days are numbered in Boston.

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald believes the team is looking for help via a trade, focusing on Kyle Seager as a top option:

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The Sox would love to put together a package to lure Kyle Seager from Seattle. But the 26-year-old has emerged as a foundational player for the Mariners, who will try to sign him to a contract extension now that he’s eligible for salary arbitration.

Other possible trade candidates might emerge, including the Indians’ Lonnie Chisenhall, the Cubs’ Luis Valbuena and the Pirates’ Pedro Alvarez.

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Seager is coming off a good season with the Seattle Mariners, totaling a career high of 25 home runs and 96 RBI. Both of these numbers also led the team, which fell just short of the playoffs.

However, the 26-year-old player is going to start getting more expensive and could eventually price himself out of the Mariners' range. The Red Sox can make a good offer with young prospects and steal the quality player to make a big upgrade at an important position.

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