MLB Trade Ideas Based on Spring Training Week 1 Rumors and Speculation
With spring training firing up this week, many MLB rosters will begin to take shape in the coming days, but that doesn't mean executives around baseball have finished retooling their teams.
Injuries and/or disgruntled employees can often push a MLB front office into making a deal during spring training. Contenders with holes on their roster might be underwhelmed by what they see on the field in camp, forcing a general manager to make a win-now move.
Jonathan Papelbon has constantly remained in trade speculation this winter, leading many to believe that the Phils may pull the trigger on a deal late in the offseason. But will desperate and interested contenders part ways with MLB-ready talent or prospects for the controversial closer?
Teams in need of catching help are also in luck this spring, as both Welington Castillo and Dioner Navarro seem to be available for the right deal. Which team with a hole behind the dish will bite on the temptation of adding one of those two players?
Reliable starting pitching is always hard to come by, so if the New York Mets continue to dangle Dillon Gee as trade bait, the right-hander will likely be swooped up by a pitching-needy club.
Again, these ideas are based purely off speculation. The following mock trades will look to improve both teams and address their needs.
Let's get going!
Dioner Navarro to the Arizona Diamondbacks
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The Trade
Arizona Diamondbacks get: catcher Dioner Navarro
Toronto Blue Jays get: pitchers David Hernandez and Randall Delgado
Why It Makes Sense
According to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, Navarro admitted that he asked for a trade "right away" after the Blue Jays signed Russell Martin to a lucrative contract earlier this winter. Navarro went on to say that he's "disappointed" a trade hasn't happened yet, and he still hopes one can be worked out before the start of the season.
While one can't blame Toronto for hitching its wagon to Martin, Navarro still has some game left in his body. Last year with the Jays, the 31-year-old hit .274 with 12 homers and 69 RBI. That solid year came on the heels of 89 fantastic games with the Chicago Cubs in 2013, where Navarro went deep 13 times and recorded 137 wRC+.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a gigantic hole behind the plate, with Tuffy Gosewisch and Oscar Hernandez as the only catchers on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitee Peter O'Brien figures to also compete for a spot on the roster this spring.
Gosewisch is a 31-year-old career minor leaguer who has played in only 55 career games. In those contests, Gosewisch has only hit .213 with one homer and a horrid 33 wRC+. Hernandez is a Single-A youngster who came over from Tampa Bay in the Rule 5 draft. While O'Brien homered 39 times in the minor leagues last season, he has fanned at a high rate in his career and might not be completely ready for an everyday role.
Arizona has a solid crop of young hurlers in the minors, so parting ways with two major league talents for Navarro won't sink their ship.
The Blue Jays bullpen ranked 25th in ERA last season, and the club's late-inning options can still be improved. David Hernandez is a flame-throwing 29-year-old reliever who is coming off Tommy John surgery last season. The right-hander posted a 4.48 ERA in 2013, but he struck out nearly 13 batters per nine in 2012.
Hernandez would be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Toronto bullpen. Fellow right-hander Randall Delgado would provide the Jays with a potential spot starter or long reliever out of the bullpen.
Welington Castillo to the Texas Rangers
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The Trade
Texas Rangers get: catcher Welington Castillo
Chicago Cubs get: pitcher Roman Mendez
Why It Makes Sense
A similar situation is happening in Chicago, with the Cubs acquiring Miguel Montero and David Ross this offseason. The odd man out seems to be Castillo, who caught 110 games for the Cubs last season.
Castillo has been a solid catcher in his career for the Cubs. The 27-year-old boasts a career slash line of .256/.324/.400 and a career 99 wRC+. Castillo's best season was in 2013, where he hit .274 and posted a 107 wRC+ and 3.3 WAR.
While Castillo struggled a bit last season, he remains a capable backstop at a reasonable rate. With essentially no place to play in Chicago, the Cubs could dangle Castillo to a catching-needy team like the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers are waiting on No. 2 prospect Jorge Alfaro to make his debut in the big leagues, but that moment is likely to happen sometime in 2016. In the short term, the Rangers will go to work with Robinson Chirinos and Carlos Corporan.
Chirinos is pegged to start after homering 13 times last season. But the 30-year-old has a lifetime 85 wRC+. He's only played in 126 games in his career, so he'll likely be given another opportunity to prove himself in 2015. Corporan has spent most of his career with the Houston Astros, where he's fanned at a high mark.
In return, the Cubs could add another bullpen arm for the expendable Castillo. Roman Mendez pitched well for the Rangers last season, posting a 2.18 ERA in 33 outings. The right-hander only struck out six hitters per nine innings, but he held opponents to a .171 average.
Dillon Gee to the Chicago White Sox
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The Trade
Chicago White Sox get: pitcher Dillon Gee
New York Mets get: outfielders Courtney Hawkins and Jacob May
Why It Makes Sense
Gee has been in the middle of plenty of trade talks this winter, but the latest rumors have the right-hander staying in New York in a bullpen role. But as Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com has reported, Gee isn't exactly thrilled with his demotion.
The Mets have been hoarding young pitching talent for quite some time, with Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom all making their way to the big leagues in recent years. With highly regarded prospect Noah Syndergaard on the verge of his major league debut and veterans like Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon still on the roster, the Mets really don't need Gee.
But just because the Mets are loaded on the bump doesn't mean another team wouldn't benefit from Gee's services. He boasts a sub-4.00 ERA in over 100 career starts. Gee is a solid option to fill out a rotation, which is why the Chicago White Sox should think about dealing for the 28-year-old veteran.
The White Sox made a splash this offseason by trading for Jeff Samardzija. He will join Chris Sale and Jose Quintana at the front of the Chicago rotation, giving the White Sox one of the better starting trios in the league.
However, the club's four and five starters are unimpressive. John Danks posted a 4.74 ERA last season after returning from injury in 2013. Hector Noesi and his 5.16 ERA in 48 career starts is also slated to get the ball every fifth day for the White Sox.
Gee would provide the White Sox with a reliable arm to plug into their top-notch rotation. In return, the Mets could add two young outfielders with offensive upside. Courtney Hawkins has hit 19 homers in two straight seasons at High-A, and Jacob May is a blazer who stole 37 bags a season ago.
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Jonathan Papelbon to the Milwaukee Brewers
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The Trade
Milwaukee Brewers get: pitcher Jonathan Papelbon
Philadelphia Phillies get: pitcher Jonathan Broxton and catcher/outfielder Clint Coulter
Why It Makes Sense
The Milwaukee Brewers could use a proven closer to solidify their bullpen. While Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano may still linger on the market, Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon would create a much bigger impact for the Brew Crew.
Philadelphia is desperate to get younger, and flipping Papelbon for assets makes too much sense not to happen. Teams that aren't going to contend have no use for aging closers, so one would think the Phillies will eventually succumb to the asking price.
The problem seems to be the difference in player return in a potential deal. The Phillies understandably want a top prospect for Papelbon. The 34-year-old's $13 million contract has hindered a potential move as well.
To offset that contract, Milwaukee could send Jonathan Broxton back to Philadelphia. Broxton is slated to make $9 million in 2015. The Phillies would be replacing Papelbon, and the Brewers wouldn't be taking on an extensive contract.
The Phillies would be keen to acquire a catching prospect as well. Milwaukee could send Clint Coulter, who has played catcher previously, in a package with Broxton. Coulter is a 21-year-old Single-A player who hit 22 home runs last season. He also posted a 165 wRC+ and walked in nearly 14 percent of his at-bats.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.
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