Win-Win Ideas for Top Remaining MLB Trade Chips Entering the New Year
With the new year rapidly approaching and fanbases starting to count the days until the start of spring training, the MLB hot stove has started to cool a bit since the winter meetings came and went.
That being said, there is still a lot of offseason to go before Cactus and Grapefruit League action gets underway, and we could see at least a few more significant trades before then.
Finding a win-win trade situation is oftentimes easier said than done, and one side will always look like the winner right off the bat.
It's certainly not impossible for a trade to be a win-win though.
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—complete with packages that could be considered a win for both sides.
RP Mike Dunn to the Chicago Cubs
1 of 5
To CHC: RP Mike Dunn
In an offseason that has seen no shortage of high-profile relievers made available on the trade market and a number of them actually dealt, the latest bullpen arm to reportedly hit the market is Mike Dunn of the Miami Marlins.
"The Marlins have received some interest in the hard-throwing reliever, and it’s looking as if he’ll eventually get moved," wrote Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Dunn is owed $3.45 million in the final year of his contract, but that price tag won't scare the Chicago Cubs off by any means.
The 30-year-old did not have his best season this past year—posting a 4.50 ERA and 1.389 WHIP—and that was due in part to his walk rate climbing from 3.5 BB/9 to 4.8 BB/9.
That could be enough to scare some teams off, according to Cafardo, but he has a strong-enough track record that he's worth taking a chance on.
If nothing else, he's been incredibly durable, as his 354 appearances since the start of the 2011 season are tops among all left-handed relievers. He found himself in plenty of high-leverage situations during that span and racked up 96 holds, including a career-high 23 this past season.
The Cubs are still looking for a dominant left-handed reliever for their bullpen, as they currently have Travis Wood, Clayton Richard and Rex Brothers in the mix as southpaw options. Dunn wasn't great in 2015, but he has a chance to be that guy.
To MIA: SP Felix Pena
If the Marlins wind up trading Dunn ahead of his walk year and coming off a down season, it will essentially amount to a salary dump. So they shouldn't expect to get much in return.
Felix Pena did not rank among the Cubs' top 30 prospects entering last season, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, and at 25 years old, he's on the fringe of even being considered one.
However, he did post strong numbers in his second go-around with Double-A Tennessee this past season, going 7-8 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.234 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9 and 9.7 K/9 in 129.2 innings of work.
That uptick in strikeouts after posting 6.7 and 7.4 K/9 rates the previous two seasons could be enough to put him on the Marlins' radar, as he looks to build off a strong 2015 performance and push closer to reaching the majors.
LF Cody Asche to the Los Angeles Angels
2 of 5
To LAA: LF Cody Asche
The Los Angeles Angels entered the offseason with a number of areas in need of an upgrade, including second base, third base and left field on the offensive side of things.
Yunel Escobar fills the hole at third base, but to this point, a potential platoon of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry is the best they've been able to come up with for left field.
They went the low-cost route at the deadline last year when they acquired the trio of David Murphy, Shane Victorino and David DeJesus. And while there are a number of impact bats still available on the free-agent market, they could think outside the box once again.
Cody Asche has flashed some solid power for the Philadelphia Phillies the past two seasons, averaging 24 doubles and 11 home runs in 411 at-bats, and he would provide a sorely needed left-handed bat.
A third baseman by trade, he shifted to left field last year to make room for top prospect Maikel Franco, and he remains a work in progress there defensively.
He also needs to improve his plate discipline (5.7% walk rate, 24.3% strikeout rate) to tap into his full potential offensively, but at 25 years old he does still have some upside.
Asche won't be arbitration-eligible until next offseason, and he has four years of team control remaining. So he could be a nice low-cost addition for the Angels in their search for an offensive boost.
To PHI: RP Geoff Broussard, 2B Alex Yarbrough
The outfield mix is quickly getting crowded in Philadelphia, as Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera both look like long-term pieces and the team also added Peter Bourjos and Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel this winter.
When you add to that the impending arrival of top prospects Nick Williams and Roman Quinn, trading Asche now to free up a roster spot and at-bats does make sense.
The Phillies won't get a huge haul for Asche by any means, but given his remaining team control and decent pop, they should be able to snag a couple potentially useful pieces.
Reliever Geoff Broussard was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 23rd round in 2012, but he was released after the 2013 season and spent 2014 pitching in the independent league.
The Angels took a flier on him this past season, and he rewarded them with 15 saves to go along with a 2.74 ERA, 1.034 WHIP and 13.5 K/9 in 41 appearances between High-A and Double-A.
The 25-year-old could potentially compete for a spot in the Phillies bullpen immediately, and at the very least should debut at some point in 2016.
Alex Yarbrough looked like the second baseman of the future for the Angels after he hit .313/.341/.459 with 53 extra-base hits, 80 RBI and 14 stolen bases at the High-A level in 2013.
However, he's struggled making the jump to the high minors the past two seasons, and he hit just .236/.274/.324 for Triple-A Salt Lake in 2015.
At this point the 24-year-old has fallen behind Roberto Baldoquin and Kody Eaves on the organizational depth chart, but the Phillies could take a chance on him regaining his 2013 form.
SP James Shields to the Miami Marlins
3 of 5
To MIA: SP James Shields
The Miami Marlins' search for a solid No. 2 starter to slot behind Jose Fernandez in the starting rotation continues this offseason, and veteran James Shields could be the answer.
The Marlins made a run at Shields in free agency last offseason, reportedly making a three-year, $60 million offer to the right-hander, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
In the end, he inked a four-year, $75 million deal with the San Diego Padres, and he enters the 2016 season with $63 million remaining on that back-loaded contract.
Shields did not have his best season in 2015, but he was still a solid workhorse, going 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 1.334 WHIP in 202.1 innings. He's now topped the 200-inning mark in nine consecutive seasons.
Jarred Cosart and Tom Koehler are currently the Marlins' top starters behind Fernandez, and adding Shields to the mix would provide some much-needed stability in that No. 2 starter role.
To SD: SS Miguel Rojas, SP Austin Brice
According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Padres are looking to move Shields without eating any of his remaining contract and are seeking a young shortstop in return.
Any team willing to take on that remaining $63 million price tag won't be willing to surrender any significant talent in return, but Miguel Rojas could be of interest to the Padres.
Rojas, 26, spent last season in a utility role for the Marlins, hitting .282/.329/.366 in 142 at-bats while spending time at second base, shortstop and third base on his way to a 1.1 WAR.
He's a solid defender at all three positions, but shortstop is his natural spot, and he's tallied 10 DRS and a 17.4 UZR/150 in 524.1 career innings at the position.
One more midlevel prospect piece from the Marlins could be enough to get the deal done, and right-hander Austin Brice has some intriguing upside.
The 23-year-old has a good fastball/curveball mix, while his changeup remains a work in progress and its progression will likely determine whether or not he sticks as a starter.
Brice struck out 127 hitters in 125.1 innings for Double-A Jacksonville last season, but he also walked 69 hitters for a 5.0 BB/9 rate.
If his command improves, he has middle-of-the-rotation upside. If it doesn't, his quality two-pitch mix could play up in the bullpen.
.png?w=256)
RF Carlos Gonzalez to the St. Louis Cardinals
4 of 5
To STL: RF Carlos Gonzalez
After signing Mike Leake to shore up their starting rotation, the St. Louis Cardinals figure to turn their attention to upgrading an offense that ranked 24th in the league with 3.99 runs per game last season.
In particular, the team needs to find a way to add more power, as they were 25th in home runs (137) and 23rd in slugging percentage (.394).
Recently the Cardinals have been linked to the Colorado Rockies, who have been shopping the outfield trio of Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson, according to Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Blackmon profiles better as a leadoff hitter than middle-of-the-order threat, and Dickerson has some staggering home/road splits. So at this point, CarGo looks to be their best target.
The 30-year-old finally stayed healthy in 2015 after missing significant time the previous two seasons, and the result was a .271/.325/.540 line with 40 home runs and 97 RBI. That included a monster second half that saw him post a .975 OPS with 27 home runs and 62 RBI.
Gonzalez has some significant home/road splits in his own right, but he carries a respectable .753 career OPS at Busch Stadium, and he's less likely for a significant drop-off in production than someone like Dickerson.
With $37 million left on his contract over the next two years, Gonzalez is not a huge financial commitment for a Cardinals team that could be undergoing a roster overhaul of sorts in the years to come, given their aging core.
To COL: 1B Matt Adams, SP Jack Flaherty, RP Sam Tuivailala
Despite already having a left-handed hitting first baseman in Ben Paulsen, the trade package heading to Colorado may very well start with Matt Adams, according to Hochman in the aforementioned piece.
Adams missed significant time this past season with a quad injury, and his power has not developed as many expected it to. But he is still just 27 years old with three years of team control left, and a move to Coors Field could provide an offensive spark.
Any deal the Rockies make for CarGo figures to be centered around at least one high-end pitching prospect as well, and in this case that prospect is Jack Flaherty.
Flaherty made the jump to full-season ball as a 19-year-old this past season and more than held his own by going 9-3 with a 2.84 ERA, 1.295 WHIP and a terrific 31/97 BB/K ratio over 95 innings of work.
The No. 34 pick in the 2014 draft, Flaherty was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the St. Louis system by Baseball America back in November.
Rounding out the package is hard-throwing reliever Sam Tuivailala, who racked up 20 strikeouts in 14.2 innings of work out of the Cardinals bullpen last season while posting a 3.07 ERA.
"He's athletic, and his arm works well, and if he can figure out control and command, he could become St. Louis' closer of the future," wrote MLB.com.
He certainly has the stuff to be a late-inning weapon, as he averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball and his slider actually graded out as his most effective pitch, according to FanGraphs.
A first baseman with big-time power potential, a high-end starting pitching prospect who could turn into a solid No. 2/3 starter type and an electric relief arm could be the package that finally convinces the Rockies to pull the trigger on trading CarGo.
SP Jake Odorizzi to the Los Angeles Dodgers
5 of 5
To LAD: SP Jake Odorizzi
As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their search for starting pitching after failing to land any of the market's top free agents, one name that has popped up more than once as a potential trade target is Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to link the Dodgers to Odorizzi, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe also noted the team's interest while pegging them as the front-runners to sign Japanese star Kenta Maeda.
Odorizzi went 9-9 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.152 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 169.1 innings last year, his second full major league season.
The 25-year-old still has four remaining years of team control, and after taking a big step forward from his first to second seasons, he could be in for a 2016 breakout.
Odorizzi has fared well against the National League in a small sample size to date, going 4-3 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.036 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 in 11 interleague starts.
To TB: SP Grant Holmes, OF Trayce Thompson, C/2B Austin Barnes
The Rays have already traded one starter this offseason when they shipped Nate Karns to Seattle. But they still seem open to the idea of moving any starter not named Chris Archer.
The Dodgers will likely try to avoid including anyone from the trio of Corey Seager, Julio Urias and Jose De Leon once again, but they should have enough other intriguing young pieces to get a deal done.
While he's not quite as highly regarded as Urias, right-hander Grant Holmes is a terrific prospect in his own right as he ranks in the No. 50-75 range among prospects league-wide.
The 19-year-old spent this past season pitching for Single-A Great Lakes, going 6-4 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.355 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 103.1 innings and he has legitimate front-line upside.
Outfielder Trayce Thompson was just acquired by the Dodgers in the three-team deal that sent Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox.
He's a legitimate 20/20 threat who impressed in his first taste of big league action this past season when he hit .295/.363/.533 with 16 extra-base hits in 122 at-bats.
Finally, Austin Barnes seems like a good fit for the Rays due to his unique versatility, as the 26-year-old has split his time between catcher and second base as a pro.
He hit .315/.389/.479 with 28 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases in 292 at-bats at the Triple-A level this past season.
All standard statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, while defensive metrics come via FanGraphs.
.png?w=480)
