10 Surprising MLB Players Who Could Be Traded This Year
Last summer, Oakland Athletics vice president and general manager Billy Beane shocked the baseball world by trading away Yoenis Cespedes.
It was a bold move and a move that ultimately didn't work out. Oakland wobbled down the stretch and crashed out in the American League Wild Card Game.
While that trade serves as a cautionary tale, there are plenty of big league clubs that will have the opportunity to swing a similarly aggressive swap this summer.
This list of 10 surprising MLB players who could be traded this year is dominated by free-agents-to-be. But there's also room for a couple of players who fit the Cespedes-mold.
Stephen Vogt, C, Oakland Athletics
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Catchers who can hit don't just grow on trees.
That's what makes Stephen Vogt, who is swinging at clip of .313 with 10 bombs, such an intriguing potential trade target. According to Peter Gammons of Gammons Daily, Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane has no plans to part with the backstop:“I’m not trading Vogt. Period," said Beane to a rival exec.
Then again, the Moneyball mad scientist can't always be taken at his word. Back in October, an Oakland official told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle "that [it] would be stupid" to trade Josh Donaldson. Less than two months later, the team did just that.
Shelby Miller, SP, Atlanta Braves
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Shelby Miller has been dismantling the National League.
The 24-year-old right-hander has made nine starts for the Atlanta Braves and has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any of those outings. In the process, Miller has reeled off a 1.50 ERA, which is the third-best mark in the bigs.
As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes, that electric start hasn't gone unnoticed by pitching-hungry contenders: "Other teams are known to be eying him for potential trade, but it's hard to see the Braves giving him up, what with two more years before free agency."
Considering his 2015 stats and his contract situation, Miller would bring back a major haul if the Braves decided to sell high.
Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
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Chris Davis has endured a forgettable start to the 2015 season.
The 29-year-old first baseman is the owner of a .208 average and has punched out 64 times in 42 contests. While the early returns have been underwhelming, there is one good reason why another team could take a chance on acquiring Davis and one good reason why the Baltimore Orioles could at least consider parting with the lefty masher.
Davis has pop, and on the trade block, that's an elusive commodity. A power-starved contender might be willing to gamble on Davis considering his track record. Davis has gone yard eight times in 2015, connected on 26 bombs in 2014 and totaled 53 shots the season before that.
For the O's, the reason to at least consider shopping Davis is that he's set to become a free agent at the end of the campaign. What's more, the vet is represented by Scott Boras who has a reputation for being extremely difficult to negotiate with.
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Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Minnesota Twins
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Trevor Plouffe can hear the footsteps all the way from Chattanooga.
That's where super prospect Miguel Sano has been absolutely battering the Southern League. On the season, the 22-year-old has smashed nine home runs. In his past 10 Double-A contests, Sano checks in with a .341 average.
Sano's glove work hasn't been nearly impressive, as he's already racked up 10 errors. However, Minnesota Twins GM Terry Ryan isn't stressing about the Dominican's defense.
"It never has been a concern for me," Ryan told Tyler Mason of Fox Sports North. "I've never had any concern about his fielding. I still don't."
With the rise of Sano, the upstart Twins have the luxury of at least fielding phones calls about the team's current third baseman.
Jeff Samardzija, SP, Chicago White Sox
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With a 19-24 record, the Chicago White Sox are only five games under .500. Unfortunately for the South Siders, the squad is already eight games off the pace in the ultra-competitive AL Central.
If the White Sox keep losing ground in the division race, it's only reasonable to think that a pending free agent or two could end up on the chopping block.
One player who fits that description is Jeff Samardzija. The Shark, whom the club picked up in an offseason trade with the Oakland Athletics, has been rounding into form after a shaky start to the season. The right-hander has reeled off eight-inning performances in back-to-back outings. Set to make $9.8 million this season, Samardzija is also a reasonably priced rental option for a contender looking to bolster its rotation.
Carlos Gomez, CF, Milwaukee Brewers
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With the Milwaukee Brewers sporting the worst record in the majors, the squad definitely has the look of a summer seller.
If the Brew Crew's brass wants to go big on the trade market, shipping out Carlos Gomez would fit that bill. The two-time Gold Glover is a true game-changer, as he hits for power (61 extra-base hits in 2014) and has serious wheels (34 steals in 2014).
His contract status also makes him more than just a rental option. Gomez makes $8 million this season and rakes in $9 million in 2016.
Mike Napoli, 1B, Boston Red Sox
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Mike Napoli is yet another free-agent-to-be who earns a spot on this list.
The only way that the slugging first baseman would ever hit the market is if the Boston Red Sox tumbled out of the race in the AL East. Right now, the Sox are in the cellar but are still very much in the mix. The team is 21-25, but sits just three games out of the top spot in the division.
Napoli has been doing all he can to help pull the Red Sox out of the team's early-season funk. The 33-year-old has been en fuego, hitting at a clip of .353 and connecting on five home runs in his past 10 contests.
Mat Latos, SP, Miami Marlins
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You couldn't script a worse start to the season for the Miami Marlins.
Losers of eight of the club's past 10 ballgames, the Fish are languishing in last place with an 18-29 record. Mat Latos has also careened through a nightmare beginning to the 2015 season. The veteran right-hander, has been shelled to the tune of 6.12 ERA, while allowing the opposition to hit .302 against him in his first nine starts.
“It’s heartbreaking to be going through this,” Latos told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "Mechanically, I’m fine. My velocity is there. I’m tired of embarrassing myself.”
Even with his ugly 2015 stats, Latos' track record suggests that he would be a strong buy-low candidate for a contender hoping to improve its starting five. Entering the year, Latos hadn't posted an ERA north of 3.48 in any of the past five seasons.
Aroldis Chapman, CL, Cincinnati Reds
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With nine losses in 10 contests, the season is rapidly spiraling out of control for the Cincinnati Reds. Already 10.5 games off the pace in the NL Central, the Reds are on the way to becoming a seller during the upcoming trade season.
One member of the squad who would draw all sorts of trade inquiries is Aroldis Chapman. The lefty closer has saved at least 38 games in each of the past three seasons and has a remarkable knack for producing swings-and-misses. In 2015, the Cuban has punched out 34 batters in 20.1 frames.
Even with the season going sideways, the Reds aren't under any urgency to sell off Champman. The reliever makes in $8 million in 2015 and then will become arbitration-eligible in the offseason.
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B/DH, Toronto Blue Jays
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This would be one bold move.
Simply put, Edwin Encarnacion is one of the most consistent sources of power in the game. The right-handed hitter has cracked 12 home runs in 2015 and totaled at least 34 bombs in each of the previous three seasons. But for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have scored more runs than any team in baseball, offense isn't the problem.
The problem is the starting staff, which has recorded the third-worst ERA in MLB. Joel Sherman of the New York Post argues that the AL East team should part ways with Encarnacion in order to fix the rotation.
There's no question about it—dealing Encarnacion would hurt. Thanks to the arrival of Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin and Devon Travis, it would be a loss that a more balanced Toronto team could overcome.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com. All salary information courtesy of Cot's Baseball Contracts on Baseball-Prospectus.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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