MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Francisco Lindor, Sonny Gray and Zack Wheeler

The annual MLB winter meetings are underway, and we've already had one major trade in the first day of what is generally a busy time for transactions around the league.

Will the activity ramp up on Tuesday?

It's a thin free-agent class beyond the handful of star-caliber players at the top, and that could mean more activity than usual on the trade market.

At the same time, with teams looking to cut costs in the wake of 2020's financial losses, high-priced veterans might be more readily available than they otherwise would have been.

Zack Wheeler, Sonny Gray and Francisco Lindor are three notable players who have seen their names pop up in trade talks recently, and all three rumors are worth a deeper dive.

Off we go.

High-Ranking Executives Confirm Zack Wheeler's Availability

Nick Wass/Associated Press

A rumor emerged over the weekend that the Philadelphia Phillies were shopping Zack Wheeler, a shocking development just one season into the five-year, $118 million contract he signed last winter.

The Phillies responded to the rumor in dramatic fashion.

"If they offered me Babe Ruth, I wouldn't trade him," John Middleton told Buster Olney of ESPN, who broke the original news. "I have authorized no one to have a conversation about trading him."

It read as a dramatic overreaction and has only served to fuel the fire rather than extinguish it, and Jeff Passan of ESPN offered up the following on Monday:

"Now, either there is a giant conspiracy to manufacture a story that the Phillies were open to hearing Zack Wheeler proposals or it actually happened. And considering three high-ranking executives on other teams confirmed to me that Olney's reporting was accurate, perhaps instead of being angry, Middleton should see those discussions as a positive thing. Because successful, pragmatic, creative front offices always listen to proposals for good players."

The big takeaway there is the three high-ranking executives who confirmed Olney's original report, which would seem to suggest that Wheeler is in fact available for the right price.

He's still a long shot to be traded, but it's conceivable that the Phillies could be convinced to pull the trigger, and likely for a package well below the stated asking price of Babe Ruth.

Several Teams Interested in Sonny Gray

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Last month, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Cincinnati Reds were open to trading Sonny Gray, even with NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer also likely to depart in free agency this winter.

A few weeks later, Gray is once again a focus of trade rumors, with Jon Heyman of MLB Network reporting that several teams are showing interest and the Reds gauging the market.

The 31-year-old has successfully righted the ship since joining the Reds prior to the 2019 season, going 16-11 with a 3.07 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 277 strikeouts in 231.2 innings over the past two seasons.

He's owed a team-friendly $20.5 million over the next two years and carries a $12 million club option for 2023, making him an appealing target for mid-market teams on a budget.

With Lance Lynn already traded to the Chicago White Sox and Bauer out of the price range of most teams, Gray could become the No. 1 priority for a number of teams this offseason.

Toronto Blue Jays a Landing Spot for Francisco Lindor?

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Until he is traded or the Cleveland Indians somehow sign him to an extension, Francisco Lindor will be the most talked-about trade candidate of the 2020-21 MLB offseason.

The latest rumor ties him to a Toronto Blue Jays team on the rise.

"I've been told the Indians would love to build a trade with Toronto, with one of the players in return being Lourdes Gurriel," wrote Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer.

For an Indians team that has received lackluster production from its outfielders for several years running, Gurriel is an interesting potential target.

The 27-year-old is owed $14.7 million over the next three years, and he has steadily improved across three MLB seasons, hitting .308/.348/.534 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs and 33 RBI this past season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers built a trade package around young MLB outfielder Alex Verdugo to acquire Mookie Betts last offseason prior to his final year of club control, and Gurriel would serve as a comparable centerpiece in a Lindor deal.

There's still plenty of time for more reports to trickle out in the days and weeks to come, but for now, this is the most concrete rumor we've had regarding Lindor and a possible landing spot.

Will Toronto get a deal done?

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.