MLB Trade Ideas Based on Week 13 News, Rumors and Speculation
While baseball's rumor mill is heating up, the San Diego Padres stand as the only non-contenders who have accepted their fate and are officially open for business. That should—and will—change in the not-so-distant future, as it makes no sense for teams on the outside of the playoff picture to drag their feet much longer.
After all, the longer these teams wait to deal, the greater the risk of an injury befalling one of their biggest trade chips and destroying their value in the process. It's an unnecessary risk to take and one of the reasons that much of this week's chatter revolves around the Oakland A's, a team that has been bit hard by the injury bug this season.
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.
Ervin Santana Gets Traded to the Baltimore Orioles
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Baltimore Gets: RHP Ervin Santana
Minnesota Gets: LHP Garrett Cleavinger, LHP Chris Lee and RHP Ryan Meisinger
The Rumor/Speculation
An assistant general manager in the American League told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that "[Ervin Santana is] the one guy out there who could be a sure thing in the middle of the rotation. Teams like Boston, Toronto, Baltimore need that guy."
Why It Makes Sense for Baltimore
After Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman, Baltimore's starting rotation is suspect at best—and Ubaldo Jimenez at worst. The Orioles desperately need another reliable, durable starter, but they lack the big-time prospects needed to add the top arms who could be available, like Oakland's Sonny Gray or Rich Hill.
What they lack in prospect capital, however, they can make up for by taking on the roughly $34 million* remaining on Santana's deal, which runs through 2018.
Santana is a proven commodity, an innings-eater who gives his team a chance to win more often than not. With Baltimore's potent offense and fantastic bullpen, he'd be a perfect addition to the middle of the team's rotation.
Why It Makes Sense for Minnesota
Not only do the Twins free up a significant amount of payroll, but they add a trio of promising young arms, including two hard-throwing relievers—Garrett Cleavinger and Ryan Meisinger—who could move quickly through the minors and become mainstays in one of the game's weakest bullpens.
Chris Lee isn't a future ace, but the 23-year-old has the stuff to become a solid contributor in a big league rotation. That same stuff could play up even more in a relief role, but it stands to reason the Twins would continue to develop him as a starter before making a determination about his long-term future.
*Note: The $34 million figure does not include a $14 million team option for 2019.
Sean Doolittle Gets Traded to the Chicago Cubs
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Chicago Gets: LHP Sean Doolittle
Oakland Gets: RHP Carl Edwards Jr., OF Jorge Soler and 1B Dan Vogelbach
The Rumor/Speculation
While Jon Heyman of TodaysKnuckleball.com says that Oakland isn't looking to trade Sean Doolittle, sources tell Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal that multiple teams have expressed interest in the 29-year-old southpaw.
Chicago has been linked to relievers for weeks, most notably the New York Yankees' late-inning trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman.
Why It Makes Sense for Chicago
The Cubs get the late-inning reliever they seek in Doolittle. Due roughly $7 million through 2018 and with two team options ($6 million and $6.5 million) that could keep him around through 2020, he's more than a rental.
Doolittle has had success in a variety of roles, pitching his way onto the American League All-Star team in 2014 as Oakland's closer. This season, he's put up excellent numbers (2.93 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 10.3 K/9) while serving in a setup role for closer John Axford.
Why It Makes Sense for Oakland
Jorge Soler's only path to regular playing time and fully realizing his potential is a trade out of Chicago. The 24-year-old could handle the everyday left field duties until Oakland figures out what it's doing with Josh Reddick. If he leaves, Soler can slide over to right field.
Due roughly $15 million through 2020, he'd be an inexpensive addition who could easily outperform his salary.
Currently Chicago's long reliever, former starter Carl Edwards Jr. has electric stuff but needs to continue to refine his command. He's got significant upside and could develop into a lethal late-inning option for the A's.
Dan Vogelbach can play first base but lacks the range to provide even average defense at the position. But he's got big power and isn't afraid to draw a walk, making him an ideal designated hitter for the A's moving forward.
Chris Archer Gets Traded to the Boston Red Sox
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Boston Gets: RHP Chris Archer
Tampa Bay Gets: OF Andrew Benintendi, 3B Rafael Devers, RHP Michael Kopech and C Austin Rei
The Rumor/Speculation
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggests that the Tampa Bay Rays should consider dealing staff ace Chris Archer. Boston's need and desire to add another starting pitcher is well known at this point.
Why It Makes Sense for Boston
Trading four terrific prospects to a division rival stings, but Boston can't pass up the chance to land a battle-tested, front-of-the-rotation, 27-year-old starter like Chris Archer.
Sure, he's been prone to the long ball this season and hasn't been at the top of his game, sitting with a 4.70 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. But he's got a track record of success, pitching to a 3.26 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 526 strikeouts over 535.1 innings from 2013 to 2015 and is still adept at inducing ground balls.
A reunion with former Rays teammate David Price and the chance to work with Boston skipper John Farrell and pitching coach Carl Willis could be all Archer needs to get back to his usual level of excellence.
As Topkin notes, Archer also comes on a very team-friendly deal, one that pays him a total of $18.5 million between 2017 and 2020, with options for $9 million and $11 million that could keep him in Boston through 2022 for a grand total of roughly $40 million.
With Price, Steven Wright, Archer and Rick Porcello comprising four-fifths of Boston's starting rotation, the Red Sox will be in far better shape to overtake Baltimore for the division lead and embark on a deep playoff run.
Why It Makes Sense for Tampa Bay
The Rays aren't getting a sure thing in this deal, but they would land four prospects with significant upside, including two—Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers—who made MLB.com's top 100 prospects list and a potential front-of-the-rotation arm in Michael Kopech.
Benintendi has all the makings of a future All-Star outfielder, with the ability to hit for average and power and a chance to contribute as early as next season. Devers, Kopech and Austin Rei are still a few years away from contributing.
Devers has tremendous raw power but may ultimately have to move across the diamond or to an outfield corner as he continues to fill out his 6'0", 195-pound frame. Rei may never become Jonathan Lucroy at the plate, but he's solid defensively and has the bat speed to hit for average and some pop in the majors.
With Alex Cobb returning from Tommy John surgery, prospects Blake Snell and Jacob Faria contributing now and more reinforcements on the way in Brent Honeywell and Taylor Guerrieri, along with the team's current stable of starters, the Rays can afford to part with a high-end starter like Archer.
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Josh Reddick Gets Traded to the Cleveland Indians
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Cleveland Gets: OF Josh Reddick
Oakland Gets: OF Will Benson and RHP Mike Clevinger
The Rumor/Speculation
Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com wrote that the Indians need to add to the roster if they hope to reach the playoffs, with "the priorities [being] a hitter, preferably an outfielder, and another late-inning reliever."
Why It Makes Sense for Cleveland
The Indians can't reasonably count on Michael Brantley, who has been limited to only 11 games due to issues with his surgically repaired shoulder. Adding Josh Reddick would go a long way toward helping to replace some of Bradley's usual production.
A free agent after the season, Reddick wouldn't add to the team's future payroll or stand in the way of top outfield prospects Clint Frazier and Bradley Zimmer, who are both expected to contribute in 2017.
Reddick's bat would fit well in Cleveland's lineup while he'd be an upgrade over Lonnie Chisenhall defensively in right field. Chisenhall would slide over to left field, pushing Rajai Davis into a full-time platoon with Tyler Naquin in center field.
Why It Makes Sense for Oakland
According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Reddick is looking for a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $60 million, while the A's have been talking about a three-year deal for about half that amount.
While the A's could simply extend Reddick a qualifying offer after the season, it makes more sense for them to try and move him for something more than the compensatory draft pick they'd receive if he opted for free agency.
The A's get that in this deal. Despite a rough MLB debut this season (3 GS, 8.79 ERA, 1.60 WHIP), 25-year-old Mike Clevinger still projects as a mid-rotation starter and could contend for a rotation spot in Oakland next spring.
Cleveland's first-round pick in this year's draft, Will Benson has drawn comparisons to Chicago's Jason Heyward. The 18-year-old is still years away from contributing and can't officially be traded until three days after the World Series ends, but he would give the A's a potential outfield fixture down the line.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of June 27. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
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