Offseason MLB Trade Ideas Based on Latest Week 23 News, Rumors and Speculation
In a typical week, the rumor mill churns enough for us to delve into five potential trades that make sense for both clubs involved.
But the mill apparently decided to take a breather for Labor Day, because outside of the chatter surrounding New York's Matt Harvey and innings limits, things have been relatively quiet. That doesn't mean we don't have any potential deals to discuss, though.
We'll look at four potential deals this week, including two that would find The Dark Knight himself toeing the rubber at a ballpark other than Citi Field.
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.
Ryan Howard Gets Traded to the Orioles
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Baltimore Gets: 1B Ryan Howard and $30 million
Philadelphia Gets: RHP Terry Doyle
Baltimore is going to lose its most prolific slugger, Chris Davis, to free agency. Philadelphia needs to "get rid of Ryan Howard," as one team source recently told CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
There's a deal to be made here.
Howard's five-year, $125 million extension will come to an end after the 2016 season, when he's collected his $25 million salary and $10 million for the buyout of a $23 million team option for 2017. And Philadelphia is going to have to pick up nearly all of that $33 million to facilitate a deal.
For all his limitations, the 35-year-old Howard is still a solid source of power, sitting with 21 home runs on the season. For a team as reliant on home runs as the Orioles are, they could do far worse than adding Howard as their full-time designated hitter at a cost of $5 million.
Well, $5 million and a 29-year-old right-handed pitcher named Terry Doyle.
Named Minnesota's 30th best prospect heading into the 2012 season by Baseball America, Doyle is officially a non-prospect at this point in his career. But he's put together a phenomenal season split between Double-A and Triple-A, going 16-2 with a 2.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 158.2 innings of work.
Those numbers are intriguing enough for Philadelphia to take a flier on him as a back-end starter for 2016. Maybe the Phillies will catch lightning in a bottle, maybe not. But no matter how much of Howard's remaining salary they pick up, they're not going to get a legitimate prospect in return.
Even if neither team has anything to show for this trade come the end of the 2016 season, it's a deal worth making for both sides.
Matt Harvey Gets Traded to the Red Sox
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Boston Gets: RHP Matt Harvey
New York Gets: SS Xander Bogaerts
The Red Sox figure to be major players in free agency, especially when it comes to bolstering their starting rotation. But they also have far more young positional talent than they do spots on the big league roster, and using some of that to add a young stud to the rotation makes a whole lot of sense.
New York has plenty of pitching but is light on impact bats, and the best free-agent bats available—a group that includes current Met Yoenis Cespedes—is going to be too expensive for the club to bring in. So they'll have to deal some of that pitching to get the bat they need.
In this deal, both teams get a young star, one that's controllable for at least three more years.
Bogaerts isn't necessarily expendable in Boston, but the Red Sox have capable replacements in Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero, not to mention prospect Javier Guerra, who might be the most talented of the bunch.
While he's not the slugger Cespedes is, Bogaerts gives the Mets a long-term solution at shortstop and a solid bat to plug into the top half of their lineup.
Harvey gives Boston a legitimate ace atop their rotation, one that, aside from his recent innings-limit debacle, has shown the ability to thrive under the spotlight in a major media market—something that's always important to consider.
Of course, Boston is just one potential landing spot for The Dark Knight.
Matt Harvey Gets Traded to the Dodgers
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Dodgers Get: RHP Matt Harvey
Mets Get: OF Yasiel Puig
While the previously proposed Matt Harvey-to-Boston deal filled a need for the Mets, it didn't bring New York the kind of slugging outfielder the team will once again be lacking in 2016. This swap with Los Angeles solves that problem.
Sure, Yasiel Puig has proven to be erratic and injury prone over the early part of his career. But there's also no disputing his talent or tools. He's also signed to an incredibly team-friendly deal, one that pays him roughly $32 million through 2018, when he'll enter his final arbitration-eligible season.
He's the kind of dynamic, game-changing bat the Mets will need to replace Yoenis Cespedes.
Harvey would give the Dodgers another ace to pair with Clayton Kershaw atop the rotation, an excellent replacement for Zack Greinke, who is expected to depart as a free agent. Under team control through 2018, his addition wouldn't be a major drain on the team's payroll, nor would it preclude the Dodgers from adding a third ace via free agency this winter.
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Aroldis Chapman Gets Traded to the Mariners
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Cincinnati Gets: RHP Dan Altavilla, RHP Edwin Diaz, OF Ramon Flores
Seattle Gets: LHP Aroldis Chapman
While we may not know who will be calling the shots in Seattle this winter, we do know that the Mariners are built to win now—and bolstering the ninth inning would go a long way toward improving the team's chances of making a deep playoff run in 2016.
Cincinnati hasn't embraced the idea of a full rebuild but has shown a willingness to move players they can't keep long-term, such as former ace Johnny Cueto. Current closer Aroldis Chapman, a free agent after the 2016 season, is another player that isn't long for Great American Ball Park.
The Reds were looking for "three higher-level prospects" in exchange for Chapman at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, per ESPN's Jayson Stark. While teams might be leery of moving multiple prospects for only one year of a closer's services, it's a move the Mariners have to make.
Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Felix Hernandez aren't getting any younger, after all.
Cincinnati would walk away with three quality prospects, including a pair of nearly MLB-ready right-handed starters, 23-year-old Dan Altavilla and 21-year-old Edwin Diaz, the latter named the team's fifth-best prospect by MLB.com.
Ramon Flores, 23, is athletic and versatile enough to play all three outfield positions and has tapped into more of his raw power this season, offering hope that he could become a solid everyday left fielder. At the very least, Flores projects to be a high-end fourth outfielder and quality bat off the bench.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through September 7. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
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