MLB Divorces That Need to Happen During Trade Season
Sometimes a trade is in the best interest of both player and team.
Productive MLB divorces come in all shapes and sizes, whether it's a disappointing young player who could benefit from a change of scenery and a better opportunity, a veteran on a non-contender who would welcome an opportunity to join a pennant race, or a star-caliber trade chip who could bring a massive prospect haul.
We've highlighted seven such examples to keep an eye on as trade season approaches.
Don't be surprised if the majority of these guys are playing elsewhere after the July 31 trade deadline passes.
OF Domingo Santana, Milwaukee Brewers
1 of 7
Not many players in MLB history have posted a 125 OPS+ with 30 home runs and 2.9 WAR but then found themselves demoted to the minors the following season.
That's the situation Domingo Santana finds himself in.
The Milwaukee Brewers' signing of Lorenzo Cain and trade for Christian Yelich during the offseason created a logjam in the outfield, and a slow start at the plate made Santana the odd man out.
The 25-year-old hit .249/.313/.354 with 11 doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI over 211 plate appearances before Milwaukee optioned him to Triple-A last week.
It may wind up being a short stay in the minors, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to see how he fits into the Brewers' plans.
Surely, there's some team out there willing to roll the dice on a young slugger who is controllable through the 2021 season and is entering the prime of his career.
This seems awfully familiar to the situation Marcell Ozuna found himself in in 2015 when he fell out of favor in Miami, only to bounce back in a big way the following season.
If the Brewers are serious about making a run this season, swinging a deal for a top-tier starting pitcher might be a necessity.
Finding a team that's interested in Santana could make it easier to put together an attractive trade package without gutting the farm system.
RP Joakim Soria, Chicago White Sox
2 of 7
A rebuilding team has little need for a high-priced veteran closer.
At the same time, playing for a contender is often at the top of a veteran player's wish list, making that type of trade a win-win.
Chicago White Sox closer Joakim Soria fits the description to a T.
The Kansas City Royals traded the 34-year-old to the White Sox in January as part of a three-team, six-player deal that essentially amounted to a salary dump for Kansas City.
The Royals are paying $1 million of his $9 million salary this season, and he has a $10 million team option that carries a $1 million buyout for the 2019 campaign.
A two-time All-Star who saved 160 games in five seasons in his first go-around with the Royals, Soria has since spent time with the Rangers, Tigers and Pirates before rejoining the Royals on his current three-year, $25 million deal.
After serving in a setup role the past two seasons, he's back to closing games with the South Siders, and he's converted 11 of 13 save chances with a 2.79 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 in 30 appearances.
While it's unlikely a contending team would slot him in the closer's role, he has plenty of value as an experienced late-inning arm. By midseason, his price tag shouldn't be a deterrent either.
Soria gets a chance to play for a contender, and the White Sox get a decent prospect or two for a guy who doesn't factor into the long-term plans.
Win-win.
3B Maikel Franco, Philadelphia Phillies
3 of 7
Maikel Franco looked like a potential cornerstone piece for the Philadelphia Phillies when he hit .280/.343/.497 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs and 50 RBI in 335 plate appearances as a rookie in 2015.
However, the results since have painted a decidedly different picture:
- 2016: 630 PA, .255/.306/.427, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 1.0 WAR
- 2017: 623 PA, .230/.281/.409, 24 HR, 76 RBI, -0.2 WAR
- 2018: 239 PA, .258/.301/.439, 10 HR, 38 RBI, -0.3 WAR
As a below-average defender (minus-24 career defensive runs saved) with a low walk rate (career 6.5 BB%), he's become a one-dimensional player whose value is solely driven by his power production.
He'll need to change his approach at the plate to tap into the significant potential that once made him one of the league's top prospects. At this point, a change of scenery might be the best way to unlock his upside.
The Phillies could then move Scott Kingery to third base full-time once J.P. Crawford returns from the disabled list, leaving an everyday middle infield of Cesar Hernandez and Crawford.
At least one team is interested in potentially acquiring Franco. The San Diego Padres have been linked to the 25-year-old, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia echoed those sentiments:
"Though management has denied it, it feels as if Franco is being phased out. He does not have the on-base skills that manager Gabe Kapler and the front office seeks in the players it wants to build around. He has not made the necessary improvements in that area that would secure his future with the club and it's no secret that Manny Machado looms out there as a July trade target or free-agent signing possibility."
Flipping him now and clearing more playing time for players who are viewed as long-term pieces makes sense for the Phillies, while a new team might be just what the doctor ordered for Franco.
.png?w=256)
SP J.A. Happ, Toronto Blue Jays
4 of 7
J.A. Happ has been nothing short of excellent since signing a three-year, $36 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2016 season.
Here's a look at where he ranks among MLB starters with at least 400 innings during that span:
That's elite production any way you slice it.
With the Blue Jays five games under .500 and 16 back in the AL East standings, Happ looks like a prime candidate to be sold to the highest bidder in the last year of his contract.
The 35-year-old will be pitching for one last big payday, and the best way for him to cash in will be a strong performance down the stretch for a contending team.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays appear to be headed for an inevitable rebuild or at least a retooling period.
Happ is lining up to be the best rental arm on the market, which could mean a solid prospect haul, even for a few months of his services.
SP Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers
5 of 7
The Texas Rangers are showing signs of life with an 8-2 record in their last 10 games.
However, they're still 11 games under .500 on the season and 18 games back in a competitive AL West division.
In other words, this recent hot streak should change their trade deadline approach.
With an aging core and a farm system that has been thinned by past deadline activity, they could use an influx of young talent. Shipping out veteran Cole Hamels might be the way to get it.
Hamels, 34, has as much postseason experience as any active player. He's pitched to a 3.48 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 98.1 career playoff innings, and he won NLCS and World Series MVP honors while leading the Phillies to a championship in 2008.
He's no longer the perennial Cy Young candidate he was in his prime, but he's still good enough to be part of a contender's postseason rotation. His experience makes him that much more attractive as a trade target.
The left-hander won his 150th career game earlier this season, and he's 4-6 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 97 strikeouts in 97.1 innings.
He's more than a rental with a $20 million team option for next season that carries a hefty $6 million buyout, so for a team with room in the budget, he'd be a piece of the puzzle in 2019 as well.
For Hamels, a trade would mean a chance to pitch for a contender while he's still capable of making a legitimate impact. He's won his ring, but he's made just three playoff appearances since 2011 and would no doubt love to get back to the postseason.
C J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
6 of 7
After the Miami Marlins traded Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon during the offseason, catcher J.T. Realmuto was the most valuable remaining trade chip on the roster when the season began.
His trade value has been trending steadily up as the 2018 season has progressed.
The 27-year-old is hitting .308/.367/.549 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBI while also throwing out 41 percent of base stealers. That's earned him a 3.1 WAR—tops among catchers.
So why would the Marlins consider trading a building block?
Trimming payroll was the driving force behind their fire sale this past offseason, and Realmuto is about to become significantly more expensive. He's making $2.9 million this season in his first year of arbitration, and that will spike considerably if he keeps performing at his current level.
There's also some unrest between player and team dating back to December, when Realmuto requested a trade, according to Craig Mish of SiriusXM.
With terrific numbers and team control through the 2020 season, Realmuto would bring back a handsome package of prospects to a Marlins farm system that has already added a wealth of talent since the new ownership group took control.
There's no reason to settle, but if the Marlins place a reasonable asking price on their young star and a contender is willing to meet it, they'd be wise to pull the trigger.
SS Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
7 of 7
The Baltimore Orioles need to trade Manny Machado.
The front office tested the waters during the offseason but never found an offer to their liking, so they held on to their superstar for one last potential run at contention.
The pitching staff never looked good enough to contend, and the AL East as a whole had seemingly passed them by, but if you want to try for one more run at the postseason with Machado on the roster, go for it.
Of course, that hasn't happened. The Orioles are 23-55 entering play Wednesday and not within shouting distance of a playoff spot.
Now is not the time to be stubborn.
If the front office digs in and refuses to come down from the offseason asking price, there's a good chance the Orioles settle for extending Machado a qualifying offer in free agency and taking the subsequent draft-pick compensation.
That won't come close to what they could get if they trade him to the highest bidder at the deadline, even if it's not the franchise-altering trade package they were seeking this past winter.
For the sake of rebuilding the farm system and the good of the team's future, Dan Duquette and company can't be stubborn here.
If Machado is still on the Orioles when Aug. 1 rolls around, they've made another fatal error.
All stats and team records courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted, and accurate through June 26.
.png?w=480)
