MLB Trade Speculation: The 20 Best Hitters Who Will Become Available
The middle of May is not traditionally a time for Major League teams to start pulling the trigger on blockbuster deals that will impact their rosters for a potential playoff push, or rebuild their farm systems for many years to come.
No, May is a time when teams begin to assess their needs and start to scout their opponents for potential trade partners as their place in the standings become more clear between now and the end of July.
At the moment, no division has a team with more than a 10-game deficit in the standings, with the exception of the American League Central where the Minnesota Twins currently sit 12 games behind the division leading Cleveland Indians.
The Twins could become sellers soon if they do not turn their season around.
The Nationals may consider swapping some hitters for young prospects to add to their core built around Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.
The Dodgers and Mets both could look to trade some of their higher-priced stars to help their financial troubles, and other teams could look for a return on a pending free agent that they suspect will leave for a more lucrative contract at season's end.
It seems every season that only a handful of top hitters are actually moved during the season, while others are moved during the offseason. Here are the top 20 names that I believe will at least be made available to field offers before the July 31 trade deadline.
Important point to remember, just because a player is made "available", does not necessarily mean they will be traded.
Sorry to disappoint, but Albert Pujols is not listed here. The Cardinals are focused on making the best offer to retain his services beyond this season, and will not seriously entertain trade offers for Pujols. Pujols also has 10-5 rights and has publicly stated he will veto any trades presented to him.
Brandon McClintock covers Major League Baseball for BleacherReport.com. You can follow me on Twitter: @BMcClintock_BR.
Carlos Beltran: New York Mets
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Carlos Beltran's resurgence this season has lifted his trade value and made it a real possibility that the Mets will seek to trade their high-priced outfielder before the July 31 deadline.
Beltran is a free agent at the end of the season and does not figure to be in the Mets' plans moving forward.
Although injuries have plagued him in recent years, he has looked like his old self this season with eight home runs through the first six weeks of the season.
He is an option at the corner outfield spots as well as designated hitter for an American League club.
David Wright: New York Mets
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David Wright will not come cheap to any team seeking an upgrade at the hot corner, but because of the Mets financial struggles he could become available if the Mets commit to a full rebuild.
Wright is a career .300 hitter who should hit between 25-30 homers annually while providing solid defense.
He is the face of the Mets franchise though, and trading him will have a major backlash in Queens amongst faithful Mets fans.
Jose Reyes: New York Mets
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Jose Reyes is yet another Met that has been rumored to potentially be on the move this summer.
Reyes would provide an All-Star caliber shortstop still in his prime to any team that wanted to offer up a package strong enough to pry him from New York.
A free agent after this season, Reyes figures to be too expensive for the Mets to retain. Rather than just accept a compensation pick by letting him walk in free agency, the Mets will likely maximize their return by shipping to a contender in return for a hefty package of prospects and perhaps young major league ready players.
The Giants have already been rumored to have discussed internally trading for Reyes to help solidify their infield and lineup.
Reyes is batting .318 so far this season, and has 12 stolen bases. He is a catalyst on the beginning of a lineup, and would be an instant boost in offense for whoever winds up with him for the remainder of the season.
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Jason Bay: New York Mets
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I promise Mets fans, this is the last name from your team.
Jason Bay is signed through 2013, so there is no guarantee that the Mets will trade him this season. As previously mentioned though, their financial struggles as well as the strength of the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves in the NL East, could convince them to commit to a complete rebuild.
Bay's $16 million annual salary through 2013, with a vesting option for 2014, means the Mets would likely have to contribute a portion of his salary annually to see a big return for Bay. The length of his contract could be seen as a benefit for interested teams though since he is not a rental player they will need to try to re-sign at the end of the season.
Bay is off to a slow start, which would lower his value to the Mets in a trade, but teams could still be interested with Bay's past statistics in hopes that a change of scenery reignites his bat.
Vladimir Guerrero: Baltimore Orioles
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Vladimir Guerrero signed a one-year contract this past offseason with the Orioles, meaning he will test free agency again this coming offseason.
The Orioles, although still technically in the AL East race right now, will not be contenders down the stretch. The Orioles will likely entertain offers from teams looking for an upgrade at designated hitter down the stretch.
Guerrero is limited to American League teams because of his inability to play the field now. He still has a dangerous bat that will make him attractive to teams seeking offense.
Last season with the Rangers he batted .300 with 29 homers and 115 RBI. This season he is batting .281 with four homers and 14 RBI through the first six weeks of play.
Derrek Lee: Baltimore Orioles
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Derrek Lee is another player the Orioles signed to a one-year deal that will reach free agency at the conclusion of the 2011 season.
Lee is off to a bit of a slow start this year with a .228 batting average, but he does have four homers so far.
Lee could be attractive to teams suffering from a lack of production at first base. A return to the National League may be the best scenario for Lee as he seeks a new contract next season, but staying in the American League allows him the ability to slide into the DH role as well.
Jason Kubel: Minnesota Twins
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Jason Kubel is in the final year of his current contract and will reach free agency for the first time this offseason.
The Twins surprising inability to score runs and win games in 2011 could turn them into sellers before the July 31 trade deadline, and Kubel is one of their hottest trade chips.
He is currently batting .336/.393/.500 and is also still in the prime of his career. He has hit 20 or more homers in each of the past three seasons, and should make this his fourth year in a row.
He can play the outfield as well as designated hitter.
If the Twins feel that Kubel will leave in the offseason, or is not in their long term plans, then trading him for a larger return than the compensatory draft pick the Twins would receive for him signing elsewhere makes sense.
Michael Cuddyer: Minnesota Twins
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Michael Cuddyer, also in the final year of his contract, is another hitter that could bring a prospect or two to the Twins before the deadline.
Cuddyer does not provide the Twins as much value in a trade as Kubel, but his versatility could make him an option to several clubs for a postseason run. Cuddyer has played right field, first base, second base and DH this season, but he also has spent time at third base during his career.
He is just two years removed from a 32-homer season. He likely won't touch that level of production in 2011, but 20 homers is not out of the question. He is a .269 hitter for his career.
Jim Thome: Minnesota Twins
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Jim Thome, at age 40 (41 in August), is winding down his Hall of Fame career.
He is a free agent after this season, and whether or not he returns for his 22nd season is still up in the air.
Last season Thome hit .283 with 25 homers and 59 RBI. This season he is off to a slow start, batting just .214 with a pair of homers. He is currently nine home runs short of reaching 600 for his career.
Thome, if made available, could be a designated hitter option or serve as a power bat off the bench for a contender down the stretch.
Aramis Ramirez: Chicago Cubs
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Aramis Ramirez is in the final year of his five year, $75 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs will need to make a decision if they still see Ramirez in their plans for 2012 and beyond, or if they want to trade him before the deadline to receive some players that better fit their organization moving forward.
Ramirez is a solid contributor with the bat. He can be counted on for 25 home runs per season, as well as typically a .280-.300 batting average.
The Cubs do have a team option on Ramirez for 2012, which automatically becomes guaranteed if he is traded. Any team that trades for Ramirez would be guaranteed his services for 2012, but would have to pay his $16 million salary, unless the Cubs contribute some money to make a deal more attractive to interested teams.
Alfonso Soriano: Chicago Cubs
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Alfonso Soriano is seeing a sudden resurgence in his power this season. His 11 homers already are tied for third most in the Majors.
Soriano is signed through 2014 at $18 million per year, making it very hard for the Cubs to trade him without eating a significant portion of that salary,
The Cubs will likely listen to offers though this summer in an attempt to capitalize on Soriano's increased trade value.
They could also be motivated to free up salary to make a competitive offer to Albert Pujols this offseason.
Carlos Lee: Houston Astros
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Carlos Lee's $18.5 million salary in 2011 and 2012 is likely the largest obstacle to moving Lee before the deadline.
The Astros are not going anywhere in 2011, and would arguably like to move Lee to a contender to receive useful prospects or young major leaguers to help them out for future contention.
Lee has hit 20 or more homers for 11 straight seasons. He has four so far this season.
His batting average is down from his career .280 average to about .245, but inserting him into a stronger lineup with some protection would likely help his production.
The Astros would have to pick up probably half of his salary for the remaining year-and-a-half though if they want to move him and receive a decent return in a trade.
Josh Willingham: Oakland Athletics
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Josh Willingham is a little bit of an interesting case to watch as the trade deadline approaches.
The Athletics are hovering right at .500 and haven't shown they can string together enough offense to make a serious run at the AL West title. They currently are sitting just 1.5 games out though, and the Angels lack the depth to sustain their early success if they suffer any serious injuries the remainder of the season.
Willingham is Oakland's best hitter, despite his early struggles this season. He is also a free agent at the end of the season though, and no player ever seems to be off limits with Billy Beane as general manager.
If Willingham is moved, it will likely follow another trade by the A's to bring in a replacement capable of matching Willingham's offense, or it will mean the A's have fallen out of contention, or that either Chris Carter or Michael Taylor have proven they are ready to contribute at the Major League level.
A lot of what-ifs surrounding Josh Willingham's availability, but the A's are always willing to listen to trade proposals.
Edwin Encarnacion: Toronto Blue Jays
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Edwin Encarnacion seems to have lost his power so far this season. In the first 29 games of the season he is batting right around his career average at .257, but he has zero home runs, compared to the 21 he hit last season in just 96 games.
The Blue Jays lost Encarnacion on waivers this past offseason to the Oakland A's before getting him right back when Oakland non-tendered him.
Encarnacion is a free agent again following this season, so common sense tells us that the Jays will listen to offers for Encarnacion before the deadline.
Since he was let go twice this offseason without compensation, he should come cheap, making him attractive to teams that need a power threat at DH, third base or off the bench.
Grady Sizemore: Cleveland Indians
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Given his injury history the past few seasons, the Indians will likely listen to trade offers for Grady Sizemore this season.
His hot play in his first 18 games back from the disabled list would allow the Indians to sell high on Sizemore if he continues to play well into July.
Currently he is hitting .282 with six homers in just 18 games. Sizemore has a team option for 2012 for just $8.5 million, making him valuable to any teams that would consider trading for him. He would be with the team for more than just half a season.
That option also makes him valuable to the surprisingly competitive Indians though, so whether or not he gets moved is completely uncertain at this point.
Sizemore's success, as well as the Indians as a team, could determine his fate before the trade deadline reaches us.
Lance Berkman: St. Louis Cardinals
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Lance Berkman has been one of the hottest hitters in the National League this season, batting .342 with 10 home runs.
The Cardinals signed Berkman to a one-year contract this offseason, making him a free agent again at the end of the 2011 season.
The Cardinals could decide to sell high on Berkman in July to receive some pieces to help build around for the future. They are currently right in contention with the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the NL Central, though.
St. Louis could decide to hold onto Berkman to continue to make a push for the playoffs and convince Albert Pujols that they are serious about continuing to build a winning team around him as they try to convince their star to re-sign this coming offseason.
The Cardinals rank in the standings, Berkman's play and the direction they believe Pujols is headed all will factor into whether or not the Cardinals listen to serious offers for Berkman this summer.
Adam LaRoche: Washington Nationals
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The Washington Nationals were hoping for more production than LaRoche's current .192 batting average when they signed him to a two-year contract with a team option for a third year this past offseason.
LaRoche is a much better hitter over his career than his current statistics suggest, though. The Nationals will not likely sell this low on LaRoche, but if he rebounds to his normal form they could decide to flip their first baseman for young prospects that will help them build around Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper for years to come.
Andre Ethier: Los Angeles Dodgers
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Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney are all names that the Dodgers could wind up being forced to move if their current financial problems are not solved soon.
Of that group, perhaps Andre Ethier is the most likely to see a new home as soon as this summer though.
Ethier is batting .355 and just recently ended a 30-game hitting streak. He has openly stated that he expects to be traded.
He will be eligible for arbitration for the final time this coming offseason, and will become a free agent following the 2012 season.
He is more valuable to teams that would consider acquiring him because he is not just a half season rental.
The Dodgers would like to keep Ethier in their outfield beyond this season, but due to their inability to make payroll, and a possible takeover from MLB, they could be forced to part ways with some of their more expensive players.
Hanley Ramirez: Florida Marlins
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The Marlins shocking start to the season may have taken Hanley Ramirez off the market for this season. The Marlins are currently just two games back in the NL East, and the Philadelphia Phillies are not the lock they were expected to be due to injuries.
The Marlins have a history of shedding their top payroll players though in exchange for several young prospects that build the team into a contender again a few years down the road.
If the Marlins stay in contention deep into the season, expect them to keep Ramirez. If they fall from contention, they could field offers for Ramirez from contending clubs willing to overpay for his services.
Ramirez would likely be the most costly player in terms of a package of prospects that could hit the trade market either this summer or during the upcoming offseason.
His slow start—he is batting just .219 with a pair of homers—will turn around and he should hit close to .300 with around 20 homers for the season.
Prince Fielder: Milwaukee Brewers
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Prince Fielder is the most powerful bat that will become available this season.
He is a free agent at the end of the season, and will command a huge pay-day that makes it unlikely he will return to Milwaukee.
The Brewers could decide to keep him if they feel they are able to either make a run at the NL Central or re-sign Fielder to a home team discount deal beyond this season. Otherwise expect Milwaukee to listen to offers for their slugging first baseman.
Fielder is signed by Scott Boras, so it is highly unlikely that he would listen to extension offers from either the Brewers or any team that acquires him before testing the open market.
Prince is currently batting .288 with nine homers and 31 RBI. He would impact any lineup that he is inserted into, and provide a huge boost in offense.
What will he cost in a trade? Likely a front-of-the-rotation type young starter, plus a package of high-ceiling prospects.
I would say that the trade between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers last season for Cliff Lee would be a fair example of the type of package it might take for any team to land Fielder prior to the trade deadline.
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