MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 21 News, Rumors and Speculation
Few things inspire feelings of dread like the crackle of a store's public address system on Christmas Eve, informing us that the store will be closing in five minutes when we've yet to find the gift (or gifts) we need to stick underneath the tree when we get home.
General managers around baseball are beginning to feel that knot in their stomach, for there are only six shopping days left—and it's only going to get tighter with each passing day. The rumor mill is immune to such maladies, but it's noticeably begun to pick up speed as we race toward the season's final month.
To be sure, the mill is regurgitating some names from previous weeks. But some last-minute additions have been made to the little that's left on the shelves for contenders to choose from, and teams need to decide—quickly—whether those new faces are potential upgrades for their respective rosters.
Keep in mind that these proposed deals are only ideas and pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there's no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.
Alejandro De Aza Gets Traded to the Giants
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Boston Gets: RHP Joe Biagini
San Francisco Gets: OF Alejandro De Aza
Despite already trading for Marlon Byrd, San Francisco is on the hunt for another outfielder.
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reported the team's interest in Drew Stubbs before he signed with Texas, and it's entirely possible that it was the Giants who put in a claim for Jeff Francoeur, who was subsequently pulled back off waivers by Philadelphia.
One outfielder who remains available—and whom the Giants had interest in previously, according to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo—is Boston's Alejandro De Aza.
Sources tell Cafardo that the Giants felt the asking price for De Aza was too high when they checked in, but the Red Sox are under new management, and it's worth a phone call to Dave Dombrowski to see if things have changed.
Chances are they have.
De Aza has gone from part of a platoon to a full-time reserve for the Red Sox, and the 31-year-old—a free agent at season's end—is not a part of the team's long-term plans. Sure, he's currently Boston's only left-handed bat on the bench, but it could promote Carlos Peguero from Triple-A to fill that role.
Moving him for something rather than letting him walk for nothing makes a lot of sense.
For the Giants, De Aza, who has hit right-handed pitching well this season (.291 BA, .824 OPS), would serve as an excellent platoon partner for Byrd, who struggles mightily against righties (.218 BA, .682 OPS).
He'd also provide additional insurance for the club, which has seen its outfield depth stretched thin at various times over the course of the season.
Boston gets back 25-year-old Joe Biagini, San Francisco's 28th-best prospect, per MLB.com. Among the Eastern League leaders in ERA (2.51) and WHIP (1.11), Biagini is nearly major league-ready and could be used as a back-end starter or out of the bullpen.
Rafael Betancourt Gets Traded to the Dodgers
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Colorado Gets: A player to be named later
Los Angeles Gets: RHP Rafael Betancourt
Designated for assignment by Colorado this past Sunday, Rafael Betancourt understands that his 12-year major league career might be over.
"I always like to be honest with myself," he told MLB.com's Thomas Harding. "I'm 40 years old. I wasn't pitching well. I don't see any team that's a contender right now that is looking to do that."
Except that a contender might just do that.
"He's been a warrior, been a great leader," Rockies manager Walt Weiss told Harding. "I tell you what, he's got a lot to be proud of when he looks back at his career. Hopefully, there's an opportunity in the last month with another club."
That club should be the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are still in need of bullpen help.
Not only has Betancourt pitched better than his 6.18 ERA would indicate—per FanGraphs, ERA estimators like FIP (3.34) and xFIP (4.26) confirm as much—but he's been stellar at Dodger Stadium over the course of his career, pitching to a 1.17 ERA and 0.36 WHIP in 17 relief appearances.
Taking a flier on Betancourt makes all the sense in the world for the Dodgers.
Jose Reyes Gets Traded to the Angels
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Colorado Gets: LHP C.J. Wilson
Los Angeles Gets: SS Jose Reyes
Waivers are a non-issue here, as Jose Reyes has already passed through unclaimed, while no team is going to claim an injured C.J. Wilson, one due $20 million in 2016, especially when that money could go toward signing one of the many starters expected to be available in free agency.
But Colorado is about as attractive to a free-agent starter as spending the rest of his career on a losing team is to Reyes, who hasn't hidden the fact that he wants out of Colorado. Here's another fact: A pitcher needs to be able to keep the ball on the ground if he's going to have any chance of success at Coors Field.
Wilson does just that, and the season-ending elbow surgery he underwent wasn't of the Tommy John variety. He's expected to be ready to go come spring training.
The Rockies could certainly use a healthy Wilson—and his nearly 49 percent career ground-ball rate—in their rotation. Not only do the Rockies get a capable starter with ground-ball tendencies and clear a path for shortstop prospect Trevor Story, but they save about $22 million in the process.
Taking on an additional $22 million is a worthwhile endeavor for the Angels if it means ridding themselves of Wilson. The club shopped him earlier this season to no avail, and some of his teammates openly questioned whether he actually needed this elbow surgery.
Reyes hasn't hidden the fact that he wants to play for a contender.
"I'm at the point in my career that I want to win," Reyes told the Denver Post's Nick Groke. "I say it over and over. I want to win. I don't want to spend the rest of my career on a last-place team. That's not the kind of player I feel like I am."
While he's not about to replace Erick Aybar at shortstop in Los Angeles, the 32-year-old can certainly provide an upgrade—and a short-term solution—at second base, where his diminished range would be less of an issue than it is at short.
Unfortunately, time is of the essence on this deal. Come 2016, Wilson has the ability to block trades to six teams—and it'd be shocking if Colorado wasn't on that list. So the Rockies can't wait to see Wilson in action before pulling the trigger on this one.
But it's a risk worth taking—for both clubs.
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Jonny Gomes Gets Traded to the Cubs
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Atlanta Gets: A player to be named later
Chicago Gets: OF Jonny Gomes
Jonny Gomes might be way past his prime, but his presence in the clubhouse and dugout could prove invaluable for a young Cubs team looking to at least host the NL Wild Card Game, if not make a run at St. Louis atop the NL Central.
The 13-year veteran outfielder—who has cleared waivers, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman—has long-standing relationships with Cubs manager Joe Maddon from their time together in Tampa Bay, as well as team president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer when they called Boston home.
They all know what he brings to the table, and Gomes can still be an effective piece off the bench against left-handed pitching. While his experience and leadership are valuable in Atlanta's clubhouse as well, the rebuilding Braves are better served by adding another young piece to the organizational depth charts.
Austin Jackson Gets Traded to the Rangers
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Seattle Gets: LHP Frank Lopez
Texas Gets: OF Austin Jackson
Like the San Francisco Giants, the Texas Rangers have been active on the outfield front—and chances are they aren't done tinkering.
Despite recently adding Will Venable from the San Diego Padres, it wouldn't at all be surprising if the Rangers were one of the clubs with interest in Seattle's Austin Jackson, who passed through waivers unclaimed, per Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.
No longer the dynamic player and defender he once was with the Detroit Tigers, the 28-year-old Jackson would be a perfect right-handed platoon partner for Venable, who struggles badly against left-handed pitching, in left field.
Then again, with Jackson's nearly identical splits against lefties and righties, he could easily become the team's everyday option, relegating Venable to fourth-outfielder duty.
Seattle picks up 21-year-old southpaw Frank Lopez, Texas' 25th-best prospect (MLB.com), in exchange for Jackson. More crafty than overpowering, Lopez projects to be a back-end starter in the big leagues, one who generates a ton of ground-ball outs and misses bats despite a lack of premier velocity.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of August 24. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
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