Win-Win Trade Ideas for Top MLB Trade Chips
There is a lot of ground to cover between an MLB team saying it is "interested" in a player on the trade market and an actual deal getting done.
With the winter meetings set to kick off this coming Sunday, there will be no shortage of trade talk in the weeks to come, and it's fair to assume at least a few significant deals will go down before the end of the month.
Finding a win-win trade situation for both sides is oftentimes easier said than done, and one side will always look like the winner right off the bat, but it's certainly not impossible for a trade to be a win-win.
With that in mind, what follows is a look at five potential trade ideas centered around some of the top names that have popped up on the rumor mill so far this offseason, with packages that could legitimately be considered a win for both sides.
1B Brandon Moss (OAK) for Prospects (MIA)
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To Miami: 1B/OF Brandon Moss
After locking up slugger Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins have turned their attention to finding a left-handed-hitting run producer to slot behind him.
In particular, according to Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, they are looking for an upgrade at first base, where Garrett Jones hit .246/.309/.411 with 33 doubles, 15 home runs and 53 RBI this past season.
Despite a second-half decline, Moss still posted a .772 OPS with 25 home runs and 81 RBI this past season. His 76 home runs over the past three seasons are good for the 18th-highest total in the league.
To Oakland: 2B Avery Romero, RP Arquimedes Caminero
With Moss projected to earn $7.1 million in arbitration, the Athletics' biggest reason for moving the 31-year-old would be financial, but they will also be expecting a solid return.
As far as prospects they might target, second baseman Avery Romero could give the A's a long-term option at a position that has been a weakness for several seasons now. The 21-year-old was a third-round pick back in 2012, and he hit .320/.367/.423 with 31 doubles this past season while reaching the Single-A level.
He's still at least a few years away, but he could join top prospect Daniel Robertson to form the double-play combination of the future in Oakland.
As a secondary piece, hard-throwing reliever Arquimedes Caminero would give the A's a big league-ready arm with some upside and could compete for a bullpen spot. The 27-year-old can touch triple digits with his fastball and has a solid slider to back it up. He had a 4.86 ERA and 11.3 K/9 in 42 appearances in Triple-A last season.
SS Alexei Ramirez (CWS) for SP Chris Anderson, Prospects (LAD)
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To Los Angeles: SS Alexei Ramirez
With Hanley Ramirez gone to Boston and the free-agent market boasting less than impressive options behind him, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have to get creative to fill their void at the shortstop position. They could go with 24-year-old Cuban defector Erisbel Arruebarrena, who hit .259/.304/.417 with 23 extra-base hits in 247 at-bats in the minors last season before earning a late-season cup of coffee.
However, for a team that will once again be eyeing a World Series title, more stability may be needed from such an important position.
Alexei Ramirez appears to be the best option on the trade market at this point, and the Dodgers have already been "aggressively pursuing" him, according to a tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The 33-year-old hit .273/.305/.408 with 35 doubles and 15 home runs to win Silver Slugger honors last season, and he is due a very reasonable $20 million over the next two seasons.
To Chicago: SP Chris Anderson, OF Scott Schebler, RP Jarret Martin
For a Chicago White Sox team that's still in the process of building toward contention, selling high on Ramirez this offseason might be in its best interest.
That being said, the White Sox need to be reasonable about what to expect in return, as there is no chance the Dodgers would include anyone from the trio of Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias. After all, those guys were off-limits in David Price talks at the deadline this past year.
There are still some quality prospects in the system behind those guys, though, and either Chris Anderson or Zach Lee could be the main piece of a prospect package. At this point, Anderson looks to have the higher ceiling, and he went 7-7 with a 4.62 ERA and 9.8 K/9 in a full season at the High-A level last year.
Pairing him with Minor League Player of the Year Scott Schebler, who hit .280/.365/.556 with 65 extra-base hits in Double-A last season, could be enough to get a deal done.
Given the fact that a handful of teams are in on Ramirez, using a third mid-level prospect to sweeten the pot could put the Dodgers over the top. Jarret Martin is a 25-year-old left-hander who found success making the transition from starter to reliever last season, posting a 3.29 ERA and 10.5 K/9 over 46 appearances in Double-A.
SS Elvis Andrus (TEX) for SP Jon Niese, Prospects (NYM)
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To New York: SS Elvis Andrus, Cash
The shortstop position has been a mess for the New York Mets since Jose Reyes bolted in free agency following the 2011 season. The position produced a .236/.317/.312 line with eight home runs and 57 RBI last season, and incumbents Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores will battle it out for playing time once again if no one is added to the mix this offseason.
Tejada has a solid glove but has been inconsistent at best offensively, while Flores has some offensive upside but could be exposed defensively with regular playing time at shortstop.
Elvis Andrus is coming off a down season, hitting just .263/.314/.333 for the Texas Rangers this past season. However, he was a .274/.339/.348 career hitter entering the year, and that production, coupled with his speed on the bases and plus glove, makes him an attractive option.
He would certainly represent a long-term option as a 26-year-old with an eight-year, $118 million extension set to kick in this coming season.
If the Rangers were willing to chip in some money in the deal, Andrus would be a great fit for the Mets, and in return, the Rangers may be able to get a better return.
To Texas: SP Jon Niese, SP SP Cory Mazzoni
Arguably the biggest need for the Rangers this offseason is a solid No. 3 starter to slot behind Yu Darvish and Derek Holland in the rotation.
Jon Niese may not be an ace-caliber arm, but he has quietly been one of the better left-handed starters in the National League the past few years. He finished up the 2014 season at 9-11 with a 3.40 ERA (3.67 FIP) and 1.268 WHIP while surpassing the 180-inning mark for the second time in his career.
The 28-year-old carries a very reasonable $16 million salary over the next two seasons, and that is followed by a $10 million option for 2017 and $11 million option for 2018.
Suffice to say, Niese would get more than a four-year, $37 million deal if he were a free agent as opposed to a controllable arm.
Since shortstop is a premium position and the Mets are in a position where they are motivated to move arms, chances are they will need to include a mid-level prospect in the deal as well. Cory Mazzoni, a 25-year-old right-hander who was taken in the second round of the 2011 draft, is a better pitcher than his numbers indicated this past season.
He finished the year 7-2 with a 4.68 ERA and 8.8 K/9 after dealing with injuries early on in the season. With a good feel for pitching and a solid three-pitch repertoire, he could yet turn into a solid starter. Otherwise, his power stuff could play well in the bullpen.
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SP Andrew Cashner (SD) for LF Nick Martinez, Prospects (TEX)
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To Texas: SP Andrew Cashner, LF Carlos Quentin
Even if they were to pull off the aforementioned trade for Jon Niese, the Texas Rangers could still be in the market for another starting pitcher.
As of now, the duo of Nick Tepesch (5-11, 4.36 ERA, 5.01 FIP) and Nick Martinez (5-12, 4.55 ERA, 4.94 FIP) would fill those final two rotation spots, and there is very little in the way of organizational depth behind them.
Re-signing Colby Lewis looks like a strong possibility, but he wasn't much better at 10-14 with a 5.18 ERA (4.46 FIP), and big picture, that assortment of arms simply doesn't cut it for a team looking to bounce back and contend.
Andrew Cashner has been fantastic dating back to the second half of the 2013 season, going a combined 10-11 with a 2.40 ERA and 1.070 WHIP over his last 30 starts. The right-hander missed 76 games this past season with elbow and shoulder problems, but he returned strong down the stretch, and there is no reason to think he can't be a front-line starter in 2015.
Carlos Quentin is not the hitter he once was, but if he can stay healthy, he could be the answer for the Rangers in left field and a potential steal as a throw-in piece of this trade. Knee problems limited him to 50 games this past season, but he had an .855 OPS with 13 home runs in 276 at-bats as recently as 2013. The 32-year-old is due $8 million this season in the final year of his contract.
To San Diego: LF Nick Williams, SP Luke Jackson, 3B Ryan Rua
The San Diego Padres have made it clear they are looking for big league-ready bats this offseason in an effort to improve what was the worst offense in baseball this past season.
Nick Williams is probably still at least a year away, but the 21-year-old has a chance to be a star, and a strong season last year has seemingly put him on the fast track. The 2012 second-round pick started the year in rookie ball and finished it in Double-A, hitting a combined .283/.331/.462 with 19 doubles, 12 triples, 17 home runs and 60 RBI.
On top of that, moving Cashner and Quentin would free up a projected $12.3 million in salary for the upcoming season, so the team would have more flexibility to add a bat on the free-agent market.
Luke Jackson would be a solid second prospect in the deal. While he has been passed by guys like Alex Gonzalez and Jake Thompson for the title of top pitching prospect in the Rangers organization, he still has a ton of potential.
The 23-year-old finished last season at 9-5 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.346 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 between Double-A and Triple-A, but he was 11-4 with a 2.04 ERA, 1.180 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 the previous season, and the stuff is still there for him to be a front-line arm.
Ryan Rau is blocked by Adrian Beltre short term and Joey Gallo long term at third base, so he's an expendable piece for the Rangers, but his bat could be of interest to the Padres. The 24-year-old hit .306/.378/.488 with 26 doubles and 18 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
LF Yoenis Cespedes (BOS) for SP Mat Latos (CIN)
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To Cincinnati: LF Yoenis Cespedes
The Cincinnati Reds saw their offensive attack go from averaging 4.31 runs per game in 2013 to just 3.67 this past season, good for 28th in the league.
Injury-plagued seasons from Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips played a role, as did a down year from Jay Bruce, but big picture, this team needs to add another bat to the mix if it hopes to bounce back from a 76-86 showing in 2014.
With Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey both gone, there is a hole in left field, and at the very least, the Reds will need to find a stopgap option until prospect Jesse Winker is ready to step into the job.
Yoenis Cespedes could be the perfect fit.
His big-time power would play well in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in all of baseball, and he would give the team a right-handed bat to slot between the lefty-hitting Votto and Bruce. And should the team struggle again, he would be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.
To Boston: SP Mat Latos
With only Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly currently locked into rotation spots, the Boston Red Sox have some work to do filling out the staff if they hope to bounce back and contend in 2015. The Reds have looked like a good fit as a trade partner for some time, as they have a clear need in the outfield, something the Red Sox have an abundance of at the moment.
With Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Alfredo Simon all set to hit free agency after next season, the Reds are expected to deal a starter this winter, and Latos has looked like the leading candidate since being dangled at the trade deadline.
"(Latos) would be the ideal No. 2 starter for Boston if they can also land a horse for the front of the rotation," read an article from CBS Boston breaking down potential targets for the Red Sox.
Both Latos and Cespedes are set to hit free agency next offseason, so this could be the rare one-for-one trade between potential contenders involving a pair of established big leaguers that actually works out for both sides.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.
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