MLB Trade Rumors: Updating the Hottest Buzz For All 30 MLB Teams
With only a few days to go until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, the Major League Baseball rumor mill continues to churn. The big story continues to be Albert Pujols and his contract. With every day that passes by, the possibility of him becoming a free agent becomes much greater.
While other teams do not have that issue, they do have players in arbitration, with meetings going through next week. Which players look to gain extra money, and which teams will be able to make their case?
There are also a few free agents left out there for any teams looking to find a diamond in the rough. Who is close to signing an aging pitcher, or a player we have forgotten about.
Here is the latest buzz for all 30 MLB teams, even those that may have very little buzz right now.
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 of 30
For a lot of the offseason, Justin Upton was involved in trade rumors, despite how crazy that sounded. After all, his salary is great enough that few teams could actually trade for it. Instead of looking at that, Upton has been concentrating on staying healthy.
Upton has spent the offseason rehabbing to prevent future injuries, and he's also said that he wants to play for Arizona. Hopefully for them, he can go a full season, since he has not yet been able to hit the 150 game mark.
According to the Diamondbacks' GM, the roster seems pretty much set for Arizona, so they're ready for spring training to start.
Atlanta Braves
2 of 30
Interestingly enough, for all the finality Billy Wagner's retirement seemed to have, he actually has not filed the paperwork for that, and remains on the Braves' active roster. Is Wagner actually retired or is he just mulling things over, biding his time since he still has a year left with Atlanta?
In other pitching news, three Japanese teams remain interested in Kenshin Kawakami—the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Yomiuri Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters. As long as the Japanese team eats a good amount of the contract, I don't see why the Braves shouldn't ship him over; he's not doing any good for them right now.
Baltimore Orioles
3 of 30
The Orioles have made so many changes this offseason that it would be rather surprising if they were considering more. Two different questions surround this team.
First, who will close for them, now that Alfredo Simon may end up being off the team? Kevin Gregg is the front runner to me, but Koji Uehara and Mike Gonzalez are possibilities.
Second, are there any plans to sign parts of their rotation long-term? The Orioles avoided arbitration with Jeremy Guthrie and signed him to a $5.75 million deal. He's been the workhorse of the team even if he hasn't been dominant, and keeping him for a few years could be beneficial despite the lack of greatness.
.png?w=256)
Boston Red Sox
4 of 30
The latest news on Jonathan Papelbon is that he's not sure why people always have him as the subject of trade rumors. Everyone assumes that he's leaving, and according to Pete Abraham's twitter, Papelbon said to that, "Why does everybody think that?"
The Red Sox are also nearing a contract with Itsuki Shoda, Japanese left-hander who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2002. It is a minor league contract, so it looks like a low-risk move, one where it doesn't matter if it doesn't pan out.
Chicago Cubs
5 of 30
It looks like the long story of the Carlos Marmol contract is coming to an end. Both sides are in the final stages of a long-term deal, and it is set to be announced tomorrow.
Marmol has been consistently good the past few season, so locking him up through his arbitration years at a minimum is a smart move, and ideally he could be locked up a bit past that. Last year was his first season as a full-time closer, however, so it remains to be seen if he can continue to be great in the ninth.
Chicago White Sox
6 of 30
The White Sox are pretty much done with moves and signings, and the question now becomes who will be the fifth starter. Jake Peavy was presumed to be, but it doesn't look like he'll be ready to go on opening day. Who should be the fifth starter then?
The best option seems to be Chris Sale. The only problem with that is pitching coach Don Cooper refuses to make any starter-reliever shifts this season, which means that they could go with a four man rotation until Peavy is ready.
Personally, I think they might as well see if Sale can handle starting duties at the major league level. Doors don't open this easily for promising rookies, and you have to use them when they open.
Cincinnati Reds
7 of 30
The Reds have been concentrating this offseason on signing some of their talent for the long haul. Now, it seems that they've hit a snag. They gave pitcher Edinson Valquez a four year extension during the offseason, but he rejected it.
Why? It seems that Volquez expects his value to improve next year, so he'll get a better deal then. It's a risk to take, since while he has a lot of upside, he has the most to prove after missing 50 games last season due to PEDs.
In other pitching news, they tried out former closer Jason Isringhausen, who's looking to land a roster spot and keep his career alive. He threw the ball well, but they seem to have their roster pretty much set.
Cleveland Indians
8 of 30
It only took until February, but the Indians are actually making moves. They signed Orlando Cabrera to a deal to bolster their infield. He will likely be starting at second base, which means that all eyes will be on the gaping hole at third.
The Indians are also looking to sign either Kevin Millwood or Jeremy Bonderman. Both are viable options as a fifth starter, but the only problem is that they're asking for around $4 million per year. No way the Indians sign anyone for that, whether they should or not.
Colorado Rockies
9 of 30
Now that it's been confirmed that a Michael Young/Rockies deal is not going to happen, everything suddenly seems quiet on this front. They made a lot of their moves early in the offseason, locking up Troy Tulowitzki and Jorge de la Rosa early on.
As for why the Rockies are no longer pursuing Michael Young, the Rangers wanted a big name in return, which was not going to happen. Unless something else happens on this front, Colorado is likely done with moves until spring training.
Detroit Tigers
10 of 30
It has now been confirmed that Jeremy Bonderman will not re-sign with the Tigers, meaning that they will move on and use the pitching they already have. They also will likely not bring back Jarrod Washburn, as it seems that he will stay retired.
Washburn hasn't pitched since 2009, and at 36 probably doesn't have much left in the tank anyway. The question going into this season will be who starts for the Tigers, since it seems like a lot of pitchers have left this past offseason.
Florida Marlins
11 of 30
The Marlins seem pretty much set with their group of young talent, and don't have any interest in adding to that. There was talk about signing Kevin Millwood or another veteran workhorse, but that was dismissed rather quickly.
This seems to be par for the course for the Marlins. They don't sign talent, but instead bring a bunch of great players up through the farm system, win a World Series, then ship them all off. For any playoff possibilities, 2011 will be the year that it should start coming together.
Houston Astros
12 of 30
Bad news for the Houston Astros—center fielder Michael Bourn has signed Scott Boras as his agent. Needless to say, it is going to quickly become difficult to keep him around. He's eligible for free agency after 2012, so the Astros have two more good years with him.
The Astros had a very uninspiring offseason, to say the least. Their big acquisitions were Clint Barmes and Bill Hall, and ESPN's Jayson Stark gave them a D for their offseason signings. It could be a long year for a team that's just hoping Carlos Lee can get back on track.
Kansas City Royals
13 of 30
Unlike other teams that had offseasons full of moves to make, the Royals have been steadfast in not moving closer Joakim Soria. Despite plenty of interest from other major league clubs, the team says they'll keep him and have no plans to move him by the trade deadline.
In a way, this still strikes me as odd. By trading Greinke and DeJesus, the Royals are clearly rebuilding again, so why trade half your talent and hold on to the other half, which will be gone once the farm talent starts showing what they can do?
In other news, a player to watch is Gregor Blanco, who is out of options and will be fighting hard for a roster spot.
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim
14 of 30
The fact that the Jered Weaver situation went to arbitration, no matter the outcome, basically means that he's gone once he hits free agency, so the Angels will have to enjoy their best pitcher while they can. They did win arbitration against Boras and the Angels, which I found surprising given Weaver's very good stats.
The Angels, like many other teams, were thrown into the Michael Young trade rumors, but it doesn't look like they're all that interested, and I don't see a trade coming close to happening. After all, why would the Rangers trade him to a division rival?
Los Angeles Dodgers
15 of 30
The Dodgers are the latest team to successfully avoid arbitration, as they signed James Loney to a contract worth just under $5 million. Also, Albert Pujols has been thrown about as a possible free agent signing after the 2011 season, since they have the cap space.
As to whether that would actually happen, I have no idea yet. Even if they would be interested in acquiring him, the Dodgers have to worry about the whole Frank McCourt situation before they can make any more major moves looking into the future.
Milwaukee Brewers
16 of 30
If you think the Milwaukee Brewers are actually done making moves this offseason, then you may be wrong. According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Michael Young could be a great acquisition for the Brewers, since right now they have the infamous Yuniesky Betancourt at shortstop.
Will that actually happen? That's highly unlikely, as the Brewers don't really have any more farm talent to give away. That would make for a scary team in 2011 though.
Minnesota Twins
17 of 30
Now that Justin Morneau is likely a lock to start Opening Day, Minnesota is not looking at their starting rotation. Management is open to trading Francisco Liriano, who could be a major player at the trade deadline if he has a great start of the year.
I would certainly prefer that Liriano remain on the Twins roster, since they already let Johan Santana go and may not have an ace for a while if he leaves.
New York Mets
18 of 30
The biggest issue the Mets have to face going forward is the whole ownership situation. As a result, there aren't all that many rumors surrounding them since they have other issues to begin with.
The Mets were one of the teams considering signing Kevin Millwood, but they have since backed out, and I don't really see them making any further moves heading into spring training.
New York Yankees
19 of 30
The Yankees have proven themselves to badly want some free agent pitching, as they have been all over the place recently. They signed Bartolo Colon, and seem close to signing Kevin Millwood to a deal as well. They certainly have the money to sign him, so it's a possibility.
If nothing else, it'll be impossible for Millwood to duplicate a 4-16 record if he pitches for the Yankees, no matter how badly he does.
Oakland Athletics
20 of 30
There's very little going on in Oakland, and they seem ready for spring training to start. For awhile, there was a rumor of Chone Figgins going to Oakland since he might need a change of scenery. Figgins was on the A's no-trade list, so even if it had gained traction it would not have happened.
Beyond the Brian Fuentes signing last month, there hasn't really been anything going on with the A's, which may end up being a good thing.
Philadelphia Phillies
21 of 30
The Phillies were a team being thrown around in the Michael Young trade rumors, as a Young for Joe Blanton and Raul Ibanez was considered a possibility. It works salary wise so it gained some traction, but I don't really see how this would work, since it may create holes for the Phillies rather than fill any.
Either way, if they were going to trade Joe Blanton, they would have done so already, since he was the subject of trade rumors so frequently this offseason. Chad Durbin, however, looks like he may be on the move, and is close to signing a deal with Seattle.
Pittsburgh Pirates
22 of 30
The latest person on the Pirates to be the subject of trade rumors is Ryan Doumit. The catcher had a great 2008, but has struggled the past couple seasons. The Pirates have considered trading him, but there don't seem to be any offers on him right now.
A few days ago, Ross Ohlendorf won his arbitration hearing despite going 1-11, so all eyes will be on him to see if he can double or triple his wins from last season.
San Diego Padres
23 of 30
The big news this offseason, outside of the Adrian Gonzalez trade, was whether or not the Padres would keep close Heath Bell for the long term. Both sides are going to talk during spring training and will hopefully sign a long-term deal.
Also, the Padres will be keeping a close eye on Mat Latos' development, and I expect them to keep a strict 200 inning limit if they can. He's their ace of the future, so he will be a player to watch this year.
San Francisco Giants
24 of 30
The defending World Series champions have kept the wheels turning, signing a few players to minor league deals and making sure they're ready to go for 2011. They also signed Lou Piniella as a consultant, which is good since they'll have someone with a good baseball mind, and he's in a position where he won't be yelling at umpires.
The Giants almost received Jason Bartlett from the Rays in a move that has recently been noted, but that deal fell through, and the Giants seem pretty much set for spring training.
Seattle Mariners
25 of 30
The Mariners may have had a lousy 2010 despite signing some talent, but they are making some moves to stay somewhat competitive in 2011. Chone Figgins ended up not being traded, and after the contract he got I can't see anyone picking him up even if the Mariners were shopping him.
In pitching news, the Mariners are close to signing former Phillies reliever Chad Durbin. They also signed Manny Delcarmen, so their pitching staff seems ready to go. Granted, the pitching staff wasn't the issue for them last year.
St. Louis Cardinals
26 of 30
The latest Cardinals buzz can be summed up in two words—Albert Pujols. At the rate this is going, the chances of a contract happening before spring training are quite slim. If a contract is not signed, Pujols will likely hit the free agency market, and if that happens, it will be a lose-lose situation for the Cards.
If they keep him, all their money will be sunk into him and they won't be able to sign talent. If they let him go, we can only imagine how that will look to Cardinals fans.
Tampa Bay Rays
27 of 30
The Rays were almost able to sign Manny Delcarmen, but ended up losing out. They have able been interested in signing Chad Durbin, but may lost out on that to Seattle.
It has been a rough offseason for the Rays, to put it lightly, as their team is pretty much depleted. They signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, which could work for a year or two, and they may be able to get something for them at the trade deadline.
Texas Rangers
28 of 30
The big thing the Rangers needed to do this offseason was sign Josh Hamilton, and they have done so, avoiding arbitration. Hamilton is signed to a two year, $24 million deal through his arbitration years, and the reigning MVP should be able to be a key part of Texas.
In other news, the Michael Young trade rumors have been the major talking point over the past couple weeks, but right now he remains a Ranger, and probably will until a team actually gives Texas an offer that works, which is unlikely given how late in the offseason this is happening.
Toronto Blue Jays
29 of 30
The Blue Jays have a big arbitration issue to deal with as well in Jose Bautista. The two sides are far from an agreement, and Bautista won't be open to talks of a contract extension after the hearing. If the two sides can't agree on anything, then 2011 will be his last year as a Blue Jay.
Beyond the talks about trading Juan Rivera and the Jose Bautista situation, there's really nothing else to report for Toronto. All they need to be concerned about is staying on good terms with their main source of power in the lineup.
Washington Nationals
30 of 30
The Nationals have spent the past couple weekends signing a slew of players and potential prospects that could work a few years down the road.
The main thing the Nationals are discussing is what position Bryce Harper will play. He's mainly a catcher, but has spent time elsewhere, and he says that he is best in center field.
The Nationals seem reluctant to put him there since he won't be able to stay there his whole career, but if that's where he is best, they might as well put him there and see how great he is there.
.png?w=480)
