MLB Trade Speculation: Every Buyer and Their Ideal Target
Every year, around late July, GMs are frantically at work trying to figure out how to improve their team by means of the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.
The biggest question for most of these GMs is whether they are going to be buyers or sellers. Should they go after a superstar player to boost their playoff chances or trade away their own big-name player and stock up on some prospects for the future?
No one likes to think about their teams giving up players, so this article is focused on those teams that I believe will be buyers this deadline; the ones who plan on competing for the prize and desire that extra man that could make the difference. Just to be clear, these are "ideal" targets, not probable ones, meaning that I'm not predicting trades here, I'm simply stating which player would perfectly fit the needs of each of the "buyer" teams.
The odds of any of these trades occurring is most likely pretty slim, so if you're looking for facts, then focus more on what I am identifying as the weaknesses of each of these teams, not the players who I think they would try to acquire in a perfect world.
Boston Red Sox: C Yadier Molina (STL)
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The Boston Red Sox began the season about as badly as they could. First they were 0-6, then they were 2-10 and they were still playing sub-.500 baseball through April. However, they have clawed themselves right back into the thick of things in the AL East once again alongside the Yankees and Rays.
Their players are finally starting to play well together, and apart from injuries to John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, almost all of their players are doing their jobs well. However, the faith that they put into young catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia has turned out to be rather naive as the 26-year-old backstop has struggled both at and behind the plate, forcing the Red Sox to split time between him and Jason Varitek.
What the Red Sox would probably love to have is a catcher that can hit, prevent stolen bases and handle their talented pitching staff. The perfect guy for Boston to acquire would be Cardinals' catcher, Yadier Molina.
Molina is an All-Star catcher that can do anything and everything asked of him. However, the Cardinals know this and probably won't be looking to deal him, especially since they are fighting for the NL Central title with the Reds. The only thing that makes this deal even remotely possible is the fact that Molina is going to be a free agent at seasons' end, so the Cards may want to shop him to bring in some prospects if they think that they will be unable to resign him.
However, I fully expect Molina to stay with the Cardinals and re-sign this offseason. In my eyes, Molina is a Cardinal for life.
New York Yankees: RHP Felix Hernandez (SEA)
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It's no secret that the Yankees want Felix Hernandez. They have always wanted him, and the answer has always been the same, "They cant have him."
Well, even though Mariner's GM Jack Zduriencik has repeatedly stressed that statement, he's no fool, and if the Bombers offer him the right package of young players, he won't say no. The Mariners are going nowhere fast, so it makes sense for them to cash in on a superstar like King Felix right now, even if he is still very young at the age of 25.
In fact, that youth is what makes him so valuable in the eyes of the Yankees. Felix represents a long-term fix for the Yankees' rotation that can also immediately help out in the present. If they could swing a deal with the M's, the Yankees would have a rotation of CC Sabathia, Felix Hernandez, A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova.
That group of guys could match up arm-to-arm with Philly's "Phab Phour" of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton. It would likely take a package of prospects including Jesus Montero, Eduardo Nunez and one of the "Killer B's" just to get Seattle to return their phone call, but if the Yankees can smell a possible World Series title, we all know that they will not hesitate to do anything in their power to obtain it.
Cleveland Indians: RHP Dan Haren (LAA)
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The Cleveland Indians are by far baseball's most surprising team this season. Almost everyone expected them to share the cellar of the AL Central with the Kansas City Royals, but the entire division has been the opposite of what was expected, with the Indians sitting atop the standings with the best record in baseball.
Suddenly, every position that was originally thought to be a weakness for Cleveland is instead a strength, and the only thing that the club is missing is a bona fide ace starter. This really isn't surprising, considering that in the last three years, the Indians have traded away both CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, two of the best pitchers in the game.
However, despite these trades (along with the Victor Martinez trade) being the main factors for the club's current success, the need for an ace is there. One guy that could potentially help the Tribe is Angels' righty Dan Haren.
Haren was acquired by the Angels from the D-Backs at the trade deadline last season and along with Jered Weaver, has been the only thing keeping the injured Halos in contention this year. Because of this, it's unlikely that the Angels would entertain the idea of dealing Haren unless they fall out of contention.
Even then, it would take a hefty package of prospects to pry him away, which is something that the Indians may not be willing to do.
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Detroit Tigers: SS Jose Reyes (NYM)
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After a disappointing start to the season, the Detroit Tigers have bounced back and are sitting around a .500 record. However, in the AL Central with the previously mentioned surging Cleveland Indians, the Tigers are going to need a major lift, if not two, if they want to win the division.
Even the path to the Wild Card is steep with the Yankees, Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays all playing excellent baseball with only two potential playoff spots for the bunch of them. The obvious weakness of Detroit is their infield, apart from first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
With the weak hitting of second baseman Scott Sizemore and third baseman Brandon Inge, the Tigers need to make a change. For some reason, they seem dedicated to Inge, so it would make sense to assume that if a move is made, Sizemore would be the one to go.
Another thing the Tigers need is a quality leadoff hitter, as centerfielder Austin Jackson is not the ideal man for the job due to his low batting average and high strikeout ratio. The perfect player to assume these roles for the Tigers is Mets' shortstop Jose Reyes.
Reyes is having a spectacular season, which was to be expected since he is in the final year of his contract and will become a free agent this offseason. Adding Reyes, a Gold Glove winner at shortstop, would likely shift Jhonny Peralta to second base, which would undoubtedly help Detroit's defense.
The Tigers would have to give up a group of talented prospects to justify the Mets losing their best player, but if they could swing a deal and sign Reyes to an extension, it would be well worth it to the future of the club.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: RHP Heath Bell (SD)
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The Angels are a good team when healthy, so when their injured players return from the disabled list, they should have a good chance at the AL West title. These injured players include Kendrys Morales, Vernon Wells and Scott Kazmir, making it hard to believe that the Angels have managed to stay very much in contention thus far.
The one thing that could slow them down even after these players return, however, is their weak bullpen. The Angels' bullpen has a bloated 5.25 ERA and doesn't really have a true closer to lock down the ninth inning. I can all but guarantee that once the trade deadline draws near, the Angels will begin to actively search for a closer and will almost certainly wind up going after Padres' closer, Heath Bell. Bell is due to become a free agent this offseason, and the Padres will not be able to retain him, as he will demand to great of a salary increase.
So, if they could find the right trade partner, they would probably like to cash in Bell for a couple of talented prospects rather than take their chances with compensatory draft picks. Bell would be the perfect anchor for the Angels' bullpen, and he might just have a trickle-down effect on the other LA relievers like he did in last season's famous "Penitentiary" in San Diego.
Oakland Athletics: 1B Justin Morneau (MIN)
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The Oakland Athletics are not a bad team, but the AL West is a bad division. Every team in that division has a chance of winning it, and of the four teams, the A's have the best, and youngest, starting rotation.
However, even the best rotation is useless without a decent offense, and the Athletics lack any kind of offensive protection, with the majority of their lineup batting below .240. That being said, if they want to win their division and go any further than the ALDS, then the A's are going to need at least one elite bat in their lineup, probably more.
Twins' first baseman Justin Morneau could be the perfect option. The Twins have quickly fallen out of contention despite having essentially the same team as the 2010 club that won the division title. It would seem safe to assume that if the Twins are this bad right now with the players they currently have on their roster, then they won't be getting any better after they lose Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer and Matt Capps to free agency after this season.
If they decide that their plan is to go into a rebuilding mode, then they might just want to trade away their former-MVP first baseman for prospects while he still has two more years on his contract. Oakland should take advantage of this opportunity, should it arise, and scoop up Morneau.
He would likely provide the spark that their lineup so badly needs right now and could act as a mentor for young players like Josh Willingham and David DeJesus. It would take a blockbuster-type deal to acquire Morneau, possibly including one of Oakland's young starting pitchers, but if they could make it happen, the Athletics could become the team to beat in the AL West.
Texas Rangers: LHP Mark Buehrle (CHW)
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After the Rangers missed out on re-signing Cliff Lee this offseason, they rolled the dice on the oft-injured, former Cy Young Award winner, Brandon Webb. Unfortunately, Webb has yet to take the mound this season, and his future doesn't look too promising.
Add onto that the injuries to Tommy Hunter and Scott Feldman, and the Rangers have been forced to piece together their rotation with members of their bullpen. While those pitchers are doing a fantastic job in their new roles, they are still more valuable to the Rangers in their former roles in the 'pen, so I would be shocked if they didn't go after a top-flight starting pitcher at the deadline.
The perfect guy for the Rangers would be White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle. The White Sox have fallen to fourth place in the AL Central despite having one of the best lineups in baseball on paper, so it wouldn't be ridiculous to think that they would trade the soon-to-be free agent Buehrle for a package of prospects.
Buehrle would slot in nicely behind C.J. Wilson in the Rangers' rotation and finally give the defending American League Champions a respectable one-two punch to help them get back to the playoffs.
St. Louis Cardinals: 2B Ian Kinsler (TEX)
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The Cardinals have really figured out a way to roll with the punches this season. Once word got out during spring training that ace pitcher Adam Wainwright required Tommy John surgery and would miss the entire 2011 season, people started to write off the Cardinals, calling the NL Central a two-team race between the Reds and Brewers.
However, St. Louis rose to the challenge and are currently sitting atop the standings thanks to some amazing performances from some extremely underrated players. Everyone knew how good left fielder Matt Holliday was, but no one expected new addition Lance Berkman to step up and play right field well while tearing the cover off the ball at the plate.
Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse have carried the rotation in Wainwright's absence, leaving very few weaknesses on this Cardinals team. Once David Freese returns from the disabled list, the only weak point for St. Louis will be second base, a problem they have had for years now. Skip Schumaker is also on the DL right now, but even when he is healthy, he's not the best option for the Cardinals, and they know that, which is why they should make a trade for an established second baseman, like the Rangers' Ian Kinsler.
Despite recent struggles, Kinsler is one of the best second basemen in the game today and would give St. Louis that extra boost they need to run away with the division and make a serious playoff run. Texas would probably want Schumaker and a couple prospects in return for Kinsler, but it would be worth it to the Cardinals if Kinsler could join them and produce like we all know he can.
Colorado Rockies: 3B Aramis Ramirez (CHC)
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The Colorado Rockies have been division contenders for a couple of years now, but I feel like they are one or two moves away from becoming legitimate World Series contenders as early as this season.
With a rotation including Ubaldo Jimenez, Jhoulys Chacin and Jorge De La Rosa and a lineup including Troy Tulowitski, Carlos Gonzalez and Todd Helton, the Rockies are ready to take that next step. They have talented young players at almost every position, with their lone weakness being at the hot corner.
That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as recently the MLB seems to be suffering from a lack of quality third basemen after superstars like A-Rod, Evan Longoria and Ryan Zimmerman. However, a viable option for the Rockies could be Cubs' third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
Chicago will likely be shopping Ramirez at the trade deadline since he is due to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Cubs would likely prefer to trade for a package of prospects rather than take their chances with compensatory draft picks, and the Rockies would probably love to introduce Ramirez's powerful swing to the thin air and short fences of Coors Field, so I think that if any of the proposed trades on this list has a real shot at coming to fruition, it's probably this one.
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