MLB Trade Ideas Based on Week 10 News, Rumors and Speculation
Baseball players are human beings, not cyborgs sent from the future to destroy Sarah Connor.
As a result, they get injured—some more seriously than others—and it's that unfortunate reality that is the driving force behind some of the trade ideas we're about to take a look at.
In case you missed it, a trio of current and former All-Star players on contending clubs—the Cleveland Indians' Michael Brantley, the New York Mets' David Wright and the San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence—are all currently out of action due to a variety of maladies, with nothing but speculation as to when they might return to action.
But as we all know, injuries aren't the only reason teams dip their toes into the trade market. A lack of production from a particular position, along with the desire (and in some cases, need) to strengthen an area of a team's roster are other contributing factors, both of which we'll hit on the pages that follow.
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.
Derek Norris Gets Traded to the Tampa Bay Rays
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San Diego Padres Get: SS Willy Adames, RHP Taylor Guerrieri and RHP Hunter Wood
Tampa Bay Rays Get: C Derek Norris
The Rumor
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes that Tampa Bay needs to find an upgrade behind the plate, not only to contend in 2016 but 2017 and beyond as well. He lists a number of potential trade targets, including San Diego's Derek Norris.
Why It Makes Sense for San Diego
The Padres are currently carrying three catchers on their active roster and will eventually have to make room for former top prospect Austin Hedges, who is working his way back from a broken bone in his hand. They've got depth at the position and can afford to part ways with one-time All-Star Derek Norris.
Especially when they're able to get three quality young pieces in exchange for him.
Named the 75th-best prospect in baseball by MLB.com, 20-year-old Willy Adames seems destined to move to either second or third base as he continues to mature physically. He's got the bat speed to hit for average and sneaky power, though he's unlikely to ever develop into a true slugger.
Taylor Guerrieri has four pitches that grade out as average or above, with a sinking fastball that batters can't help but pound into the ground. The 23-year-old has the ceiling of a mid-rotation arm and should be ready to contend for a rotation spot as early as next season.
Hunter Wood has been developed as a starter but could ultimately make the big leagues as a reliever, where his lack of a third plus offering to complement his fastball and curveball would be far less of an issue. Like Guerrieri, he's nearly ready to contribute.
Why It Makes Sense for Tampa Bay
Norris, 26, isn't having a great season at the plate—he's the least productive qualified catcher in baseball, according to FanGraphs' Weighted Runs Created Plus metric (wRC+)—but remains adept at controlling the opposition's running game and, per Baseball Prospectus, is still an above-average pitch-framer.
The same can't be said for the Rays' current catching tandem of Curt Casali and Hank Conger.
Making $2.925 million this season and with two years of team control remaining, Norris won't become prohibitively expensive for the fiscally challenged franchise to keep around for a while.
Aroldis Chapman Gets Traded to the Chicago Cubs
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Chicago Cubs Get: LHP Aroldis Chapman
New York Yankees Get: OF Donnie Dewees and 2B/OF Ian Happ
The Rumor
CBSChicago.com's Bruce Levine reports that the Chicago Cubs "will try to add a stud left-handed setup man or closer before the non-waiver trade deadline expires," naming New York's Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller as likely targets.
Why It Makes Sense for Chicago
Hector Rondon has been Chapman-esque this season with a 1.04 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and a 27-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 17.2 innings of relief, but the Cubs simply can't pass up the chance to add the genuine article.
Chapman gives manager Joe Maddon options. He can slide Rondon into a setup role for Chapman—or vice versa—and we probably shouldn't discount the idea of dual closers, with the two alternating save opportunities in an attempt to keep them both fresh down the stretch.
Neither of the prospects the Cubs give up in this deal—Donnie Dewees or Ian Happ—has a clear path to regular playing time in Chicago, making it easier for the Cubs to part with young talent.
Why It Makes Sense for New York
Like Ben Zobrist, Happ is a versatile player capable of playing second base or the outfield corners, though in Happ's case, he's got the speed and athleticism to handle center field, which Zobrist can't do. The 22-year-old switch-hitter has all the tools to be a 20-20 player and could contribute in 2017.
A left-handed hitter, Dewes probably won't be ready to help in the Bronx until 2018, but the 22-year-old has terrific bat speed which generates deceptive power that would play up in Yankee Stadium and the speed to be a base-stealing threat and cover a lot of ground in center field.
If nothing else, the Yankees add depth to their farm system with a pair of high-upside prospects, players who could either be a part of the team's future or be used to help facilitate subsequent trades down the line.
Kelly Johnson Gets Traded to the New York Mets
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Atlanta Braves Get: IF T.J. Rivera and a player to be named later
New York Mets Get: IF/OF Kelly Johnson
The Rumor
In his latest for TodaysKnuckleball.com, MLB Network's Jon Heyman speculated that Kelly Johnson—along with pretty much everyone in Atlanta not named Freddie Freeman—could be available in a trade.
Why It Makes Sense for Atlanta
As Heyman noted, the Braves value Kelly Johnson's leadership, but that's not nearly enough of a reason to keep him around when there's a chance to add younger talent to help in the team's rebuilding efforts.
Currently in his age-27 season, T.J. Rivera isn't a high-upside prospect and may never be a full-time starter. But he's versatile enough to play all around the infield and a career .323 hitter over parts of six minor league seasons, offering far more offensive value than the team's current utility infielder, the light-hitting Daniel Castro.
Why It Makes Sense for New York
While Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported that the Mets are content to let utility infielder Wilmer Flores take over for the injured David Wright at third base—and remain convinced that their captain will return from a herniated disc in his neck this season—the team could use some insurance.
Kelly Johnson can provide that, just as he did last season, when the Mets acquired him and Juan Uribe from the Braves a week before the non-waiver trade deadline. His familiarity with most of the clubhouse, along with his versatility, makes him an ideal addition, even if he's not the player he once was.
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Jay Bruce Gets Traded to the San Francisco Giants
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Cincinnati Reds Get: RHP Sam Coonrod, SS Lucius Fox and a player to be named later
San Francisco Giants Get: OF Jay Bruce and $6 million
The Rumor
With Hunter Pence set to undergo surgery on his torn hamstring, Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com reported that Giants manager Bruce Bochy and general manager Bobby Evans have discussed potential trade targets as replacements.
"Like every club, you kick the tires and see if something makes sense," Bochy told Pavlovic.
Jay Bruce has been a mainstay on the rumor mill for nearly a year and this season has been the subject of nearly weekly speculation about where he might end up. Most recently, the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo mentioned Kansas City and Philadelphia as teams that may have interest.
Why It Makes Sense for Cincinnati
The Reds aren't getting this Lucius Fox, but rather a switch-hitting 18-year-old with a similar skill set to current Cincinnati center fielder Billy Hamilton—but with the arm strength and range to stick at shortstop. Still years away from making an impact, Fox has all the makings of an above-average regular.
With Zack Cozart having only one year of control remaining and neither of the team's top shortstop prospects, Blake Trahan and Calten Daal, looking like the long-term answer at the position, Fox is the kind of high-upside talent the Reds can—and should—take a chance on.
San Francisco has developed 23-year-old Sam Coonrod as a starter—and he's got the ceiling of a mid-rotation arm—but he could thrive in a relief role, where his fastball-slider combination could play up in short stints.
Why It Makes Sense for San Francisco
Jay Bruce isn't a great defender—advanced metrics say he's about as far from great as you can get—but the National League leader in triples (seriously) can take over for Pence in right field and replace his power in the lineup.
If Pence returns to action, Bruce can slide over to left field, split time with Pence in right (if the Giants decide they want to limit his time in the field), or serve as a powerful left-handed bat off the bench.
With Angel Pagan (also sidelined with his own hamstring issues) set to be a free agent after the season, the Giants could exercise the $13 million team option on Bruce's deal for 2017, giving them a left fielder at a reasonable price while a healthy Pence reclaims his spot in right field.
While Coonrod could have factored into the Giants' plans for 2017, Fox didn't and was expendable, seeing as how he's blocked at shortstop by Brandon Crawford, who is signed through 2021.
Will Venable Gets Traded to the Cleveland Indians
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Cleveland Indians Get: OF Will Venable
Philadelphia Phillies Get: A player to be named later
The Rumor
There's no rumor here, just the facts. With Marlon Byrd suspended for the rest of the season and Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reporting that Cleveland has "serious concern" that All-Star left fielder Michael Brantley could miss significant time with a shoulder injury, the Indians need another outfielder.
Why It Makes Sense for Cleveland
Will Venable was with the Indians in spring training but was told late in camp that he wouldn't be making the club (shortly after the team signed Byrd, coincidentally). He wound up signing a minor league deal with Philadelphia and has yet to appear in the majors this season.
The 33-year-old hasn't hit well since 2013 but is capable of playing all three outfield positions. Given Cleveland's tight payroll situation and the need to hang on to its best young players, taking a flier on a low-cost, seasoned veteran like Venable makes sense.
Why It Makes Sense for Philadelphia
It stands to reason that if the Phillies thought Venable could spark their struggling offense, he'd have already been called up to the big leagues. Clearly, the veteran outfielder has little future with the rebuilding club.
While Philadelphia isn't getting anything substantial in return for Venable, they're getting something. That's far better than simply shaking hands and parting ways at the end of the regular season.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of June 6. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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