MLB Trade Rumors: Odds Prince Fielder and Other Stars Will Be Traded
MLB Trade Rumors continue to swirl as the Hot Stove heats up during the annual Winter Meetings.
The talk of the meetings was obviously the mega-contract Jayson Werth signed with the Washington Nationals, but there have been other rumors as well.
In the last two days, the Blue Jays shipped off their best starter in Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee for a prospect, and the Padres finally unloaded first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to Boston for a bounty of prospects.
There are more big names who have been named in trade rumors, so here are some of the bigger names that could be moved.
Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee
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There's no doubting Fielder's talent and what he means to the Brewers.
There's also no doubting that Fielder is a free agent after this season and will definitely get offered a big contract. So it makes sense now that the Brewers are trying to move him.
There have been many teams that have shown interest in Fielder, but the two latest teams to come up are the Dodgers and the Orioles. The rumored deal with LA would include Jonathan Broxton and James Loney, but ESPN quickly debunked that rumor. The Baltimore Sun reported the Orioles have talked to Milwaukee, but that it's nothing more than that.
Out of all the stars, this is probably the most likely to be moved.
Zach Greinke, SP, Kansas City
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Greinke has been the most active name thrown out in trade rumors, and the team that seems to be linked the most to him is Toronto.
Whereas the reports were that Greinke would not waive his no-trade clause to go to the Blue Jays, but by Tuesday at the time of this posting, now there seems to be major discussions. The Royals want prospects Kyle Drabek and Travis Snider in return, and if Toronto is willing to move them, then it could happen very quickly.
As with the Jays and Doc Halladay, I would think the Royals would bring down the price as the weeks wear on, but they still want a lot for him. I still think it's likely he'll move and look for Toronto to keep pushing.
Heath Bell, RP, San Diego
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With Adrian Gonzalez gone, Bell is now the biggest and most attractive trade chip the Padres have.
He's a bargain at $4 million and will be arbitration-eligible and a free agent after this season. Jed Hoyer came out Monday and said Bell would likely stay and be the Friars' closer on Opening Day, but things could always change.
If Bell does become available, then there could be a lot of suitors calling about Bell. The Marlins have already been linked as having interest in Bell, and a team like the White Sox who might not re-sign Bobby Jenks might be interested. This is less likely because of Hoyer's comments but keep an eye out.
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Jose Reyes, SS, New York Mets
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Now to a trio of Mets that apparently could now be had, according to one reporter.
ESPN's Jayson Stark tweeted that an official of a team that talked to the Mets told Stark that anyone on the Mets could be had, that's including Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran.
This would have been earth-shattering news a few years ago, but now it doesn't seem like a big deal, as the franchise has been going downhill ever since Beltran left the bat on his shoulders in the 2006 NLCS. Reyes would be a good player for a contending team in need of a shortstop and energy at the top of the lineup, but that's considering he stays healthy. That's been a problem recently.
There's been no teams explicitly asking about Reyes, but there have been more and more reports that he could be had. It's unlikely but keep an eye on it.
David Wright, 3B, New York Mets
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Like with Wright, there haven't been any specific talks or teams coming forward with interest, it's all speculation at this point. For what it's worth, new Mets GM Sandy Alderson said last week he prefers not to move Wright, among others.
But you also get the feeling that he wants to clean house, and if a team comes in with a good offer for the third baseman, he would at least think about it. In terms of teams needing a third baseman, Baltimore's out of the equation, and Arizona's in a rebuild. Perhaps an interesting place to look would be the Dodgers, who were in on Prince Fielder and are constantly looking for bats. The Angels might be a landing place as well.
But I'd say this is pretty unlikely,
Carlos Beltran, CF, New York Mets
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Beltran might be the most intriguing one of all three, mostly because from the reports out there, he could be the most desired despite his injury history.
David Lennon of Newsday tweeted that there is big interest in Beltran and could bring the Mets a lot in return, providing he stays healthy.
And that's the $64,000 question: Can Beltran stay healthy? And even if he does, have his skills started to deteriorate?
If what Lennon tweeted is true, then Alderson may seriously want to think about it. There was a piece in the New York Daily News that suggested Alderson try to make a deal with Oakland to give them a much-needed bat.
Out of all three, this might be the most probable deal. It's still unlikely.
Justin Upton, CF, Arizona
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Maybe the player with the most upside out of all the trade rumors out there, Upton is still very young and very raw, but he's shown that he could be a special player.
What's been frustrating about the rumors is that the stories keep changing. There were numerous reports and numerous pundits going out and saying Upton could be had (why Arizona would want to trade a young player like Upton is beyond me). There was even mentions of him going to Tampa Bay to play with his brother B.J. and get him back on the right track.
But Kevin Towers came out recently and stated that Upton would probably not be moved, telling Stark "it's going to take somebody a little on the crazy side" to make a deal.
It's unlikely but worth watching.
Grady Sizemore, CF, Cleveland
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Sizemore is like Beltran, an all-around great player with speed, defense and hitting for power and average...when he's healthy.
And he hasn't been fully healthy in a while. He had microfracture surgery on his knee and needs to show he can play after the surgery. Bob Dutton of the KC Star and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer both wrote that Sizemore needs to prove he can play before teams really start calling about him.
But perhaps a team like Florida, who decided to give up on Cameron Maybin, might be in the market for a center fielder batting leadoff. The contract might be too much for them, but it's a team that might be a fit.
Like with some of the others, a trade could happen. But it's more likely to happen midseason than offseason.
Josh Willingham, OF, Washington
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With Werth now on the payroll and the possible/not possible/real or imagined bid the Nationals put in on Cliff Lee, the feeling from the media is that they've done everything except shout it on the rooftops that Willingham could be had. He's a veteran right-handed bat with good power and could be a nice fit on a winning team.
The problem is that Ken Rosenthal tweeted that while teams (Oakland, Detroit and Seattle) are interested, the asking price is way to high for any team to bite on Willingham.
It looks like Willingham will move, and that teams are very interested in getting him, but nothing will happen until the Nationals lower the price.
Ryan Doumit, C/RF, Pittsburgh Pirates
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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this morning that the Pirates are actively trying to move Doumit and his $5 million contract, and they believe a deal could get done not involving cash. If nothing else, Doumit (along with the salary) brings a nice bottom of the lineup bat with some pop and the versatility of playing two positions.
There have been no teams reported to be interested in Doumit, although do not count Oakland or Seattle out of the mix, as both teams could take any bats they can find.
In the long run, I'd say he probably gets moved because the Pirates' are publicly trying to move him, but don't put any money on it. The story went on to say the organization has no qualms about having him be the starting right fielder next year if no trade gets done.
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