Wild MLB Trade Ideas We'd Love to See This Offseason
There will be no shortage of speculative trade content written during the upcoming MLB offseason, and much of it will center around the same handful of names and potential landing spots.
Before the hot stove starts cooking, we thought it would be fun to throw out a few outside-the-box trade ideas to get the ball rolling.
The idea here was not necessarily to focus on trades that are likely to happen, but instead to highlight a few wild ideas that could be logically justified for all involved.
Have your own wild trade idea?
Share it in the comments and I'll give you my thoughts on the proposal.
Phillies and Dodgers Swap Controllable Assets
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The Proposal
To LAD: IF/OF Scott Kingery
To PHI: C Keibert Ruiz
The Logic
Regular readers might remember this trade idea from an article I wrote back in May and the logic here is pretty simple.
If the Philadelphia Phillies are unable to come to terms on a new deal with All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto this offseason, there will be a massive void to fill behind the plate.
Keibert Ruiz has been one of baseball's top catching prospects for multiple years now, but he's blocked by Will Smith in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers have another top-tier catching prospect rising the ranks in Diego Cartaya.
In exchange, the Dodgers bring back Scott Kingery, who would be the perfect super-utility replacement for Enrique Hernandez, who will be a free agent for the first time this offseason.
Kingery, 26, signed a six-year, $24 million extension prior to making his MLB debut, and a trio of option years make him controllable through 2026.
Ruiz, 22, made his MLB debut this year but still has rookie eligibility remaining and would be controllable through 2026 if he claimed a spot on the big league roster next season.
Both players fill an area of need and both teams get better.
Angels Dump Salary on the Giants Again
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The Proposal
To SF:ย OF Justin Upton, OF Jordyn Adams
To LAA: PTBNL
The Logic
The Angels still owe Justin Upton another $51 million over the next two seasons as he plays out a five-year, $106 million contract, and with pitching as a glaring need atop the offseason shopping list, they would benefit greatly from finding a way to move that money.
Last offseason, Zack Cozart was packaged with 2019 first-round pick Will Wilson and traded to the San Francisco Giants for a player to be named. In essence, the Giants' financial flexibility allowed them to buy a prospect.
Could a similar deal be made once again this winter?
Unloading his salary would allow the Angels to spend more on pitching, and it would also open up a spot in the outfield for top prospect Brandon Marsh.
It would take a top-tier prospect to convince the Giants to pull the trigger, and outfielder Jordyn Adams fits the bill thanks to his elite athleticism and extremely high ceiling. The No. 17 pick in the 2018 draft has five-tool upside and 80-grade speed.
With Jeff Samardzija off the books and Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and Johnny Cueto entering the final year of their contracts, the Giants have the financial flexibility to get creative.
Top Prospect Blockbuster
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The Proposal
To MIN: SP Forrest Whitley
To HOU: 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff
The Logic
Hard-throwing Forrest Whitley was the consensus top pitching prospect in baseball before struggling to a 7.99 ERA in 59.2 innings while battling injury in 2019.
Alex Kirilloff hit .348/.392/.578 with 71 extra-base hits between Single-A and High-A in 2018, but saw his numbers dip across the board with a .283/.343/.413 line at Double-A in 2019.
Who's up for a change of scenery?
With a crowded outfield and Miguel Sano manning first base, there's no clear path to playing time in Minnesota for Kirilloff. He would give the Astros a potential long-term replacement for Yuli Gurriel at first base and an immediate replacement for Josh Reddick in right field.
It could be viewed as the Astros selling low on Whitley or jumping at the opportunity to move him while his upside still generates significant value.
Prospect swaps don't happen very often because of the simple fact that it looks really bad if you get it wrong and give up a controllable young talent who hits. This one is enough of a mix of risk, reward and fit to at least be worth considering.
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Miguel Cabrera Returns to Miami
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The Proposal
To MIA: 1B Miguel Cabrera, SP Tarik Skubal, cash
To DET: OF Lewis Brinson
The Logic
The Detroit Tigers are finally out from under Jordan Zimmermann's albatross contract, but they are still set to pay Miguel Cabrera a whopping $94 million over the next three seasons.
No longer the superstar he was in his prime, Cabrera did enjoy a quietly productive season in 2020.
The 37-year-old posted a 102 OPS+ with 10 home runs and 35 RBI in 231 plate appearances after hitting just 15 long balls in 706 trips to the plate the previous two seasons, and the Tigers were surprisingly competitive amid a youth movement a year after losing 114 games.
Trading Cabrera would free up a ton of money to spend on reinforcing the young roster, and sending him back to Miami where he began his Hall of Famer career could prove mutually beneficial.
The Marlins were surprise contenders in 2020 and they are building toward long-term contention, but they are still lacking a true face of the franchise. Cabrera would be an extremely marketable addition to the team and a welcome veteran presence in the clubhouse.
However, the real motivation would be a chance to acquire Tarik Skubal, a young left-hander who began the season as a top-100 prospect and showed some promising flashes in seven starts. The Tigers would still have Casey Mize and Matt Manning to anchor the future rotation.
Sending Lewis Brinson the other way would give a talented player a welcome change of scenery and open up a spot for Monte Harrison in the Miami outfield.
It's a long shot, and it might take the Tigers tossing in a decent chunk of change, but it's a deal that would potentially be beneficial for everyone involved.
Josh Hader Replaces Liam Hendriks in Oakland
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The Proposal
To OAK: RP Josh Hader
To MIL:ย SP Sean Manaea, 3B Sheldon Neuse, OF Bryan Buelvas
The Logic
Liam Hendriks was recently named AL Reliever of the Year, and he's set to cash in as a free agent after two terrific seasons as the Athletics closer.
The bullpen was integral to Oakland's success in recent years, so replacing him in the ninth-inning role figures to be a focal point of the offseason. Assuming his price tag climbs north of $15 million per year as expected, a reunion is unlikely.
Enter Josh Hader.
A force at the back of the Milwaukee bullpen since breaking into the league, Hader had 13 saves while striking out 31 of the 78 batters he faced. Despite his elite production, he could be deemed expendable thanks to the emergence of rookie Devin Williams.
Hader, 26, is controllable through the 2023 season, and after making a team friendly $4.1 million in 2020 he should still fit into Oakland's budget.
In return, the Brewers get a rotation piece in Sean Manaea who has two years of control left. He's dealt with some injury issues, but he's also pitched like a front-line starter at times when healthy.
Sheldon Neuse is blocked in Oakland by Matt Chapman but would have an opportunity to compete for the starting third base job in Milwaukee. Teenager Bryan Buelvas rounds out the return package and immediately jumps into the top 10 prospect list for a thin Milwaukee system thanks to his significant upside.
Mariners Sell High on Marco Gonzales
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The Proposal
To TB:ย SP Marco Gonzales
To SEA: 2B Vidal Brujan, SP Joe Ryan
The Logic
After two solid seasons as a workhorse fronting a rebuilding Seattle squad's rotation, Marco Gonzales took things up a notch in 2020.
The soft-throwing lefty went 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and a 64-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 69.2 innings, tallying six quality starts in 11 appearances.
One of the few long-term pieces on the MLB roster in Seattle, he was signed to a four-year, $30 million extension that includes a club option for 2025, but that doesn't mean general manager Jerry Dipoto won't entertain the idea of shopping him.
The Tampa Bay Rays will likely need to find a replacement for Charlie Morton at season's end. The 36-year-old is in the final year of a two-year, $30 million deal and could be headed for retirement.
Vidal Brujan is one of baseball's top middle infield prospects, but the Rays system is loaded with middle infield talent and they already have Brandon Lowe and Willy Adames at the MLB level. He would join J.P. Crawford as part of the long-term middle infield in Seattle.
Right-hander Joe Ryan was one of the breakout prospects of 2019, going 9-4 with a 1.96 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 123.2 innings over three minor league levels. The Rays develop pitching talent better than any other franchise, so parting with him wouldn't be the blow it would to some other clubs.
The Rays shore up their rotation, and the Mariners get two more long-term pieces for their rebuild.
Joey Gallo, Lance Lynn and Rougned Odor to the Yankees
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The Proposal
To NYY:ย SP Lance Lynn, OF Joey Gallo, 2B Rougned Odor
To TEX: SP Deivi Garcia, OF Clint Frazier, SP/RP Jonathan Loaisiga, OF Kevin Alcantara, SS Alexander Vargas, C Antonio Gomez
The Logic
The New Yankees need starting pitching help behind Gerrit Cole. Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ are all free agents, Luis Severino is recovering from Tommy John surgery and prospects Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt remain unproven.
Lance Lynn has been a bona fide ace since joining the Texas Rangers, finishing fifth in AL Cy Young voting a year ago before posting a 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 84 innings this season. The 33-year-old is under contract for one more year at a team friendly $9.3 million.
The cost-cutting Texas Rangers might be willing to build an even bigger trade package. Could you imagine Joey Gallo hitting between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and taking aim at the short porch in right field?
Given the time that Judge, Stanton and others in the Yankees lineup have missed over the years, and the potential departure of DJ LeMahieu in free agency, Gallo would provide welcome support in the middle of the lineup.
Agreeing to take on Rougned Odor and the two years and $27.7 million left on his contract would help lower the acquisition cost and provide a potential replacement for LeMahieu at the keystone.
So what would all of that cost?
It would likely have to start with one of Garcia or Schmidt. If the Yankees are concerned with whether Garcia's small frame will hold up to a starter's workload, they shouldn't hesitate to include him.
Clint Frazier played well over the final two months of the 2020 season, but he's dealt with significant ups and downs during his time in the Bronx. Moving him now would be a chance to sell high while addressing other needs.
Swingman Jonathan Loaisiga would slot into a spot in the Texas rotation, while teenagers Kevin Alcantara, Alexander Vargas and Antonio Gomez all have tremendous potential and would provide an infusion of high-ceiling talent to the farm system.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.
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