MLB Trade Rumors: 10 Players Teams Will Trade This Offseason to Shed Salary

When the 2011 MLB postseason comes and goes, teams will begin to more thoroughly examine their roster and find ways to shed as much salary as they possibly can.

When a team trades a player to shed salary, it will generally fall under one of two possible situations. Either the team is in the rebuilding process and will look to unload their best and pricier players, or teams will simply be looking to trade their overpaid players for anything in return, including a box of sunflower seeds.

For the upcoming offseason, here is a list of 10 players you can expect to be moved simply because of their contract.

10. Wandy Rodriguez

Wandy Rodriguez was already very close to being moved this past trade deadline. Not only was he nearly dealt to an American League before the deadline, but the Houston Astros placed him on waivers and he was claimed by the Colorado Rockies.

A deal was never worked out between the two clubs, but an upcoming trade seems imminent for Rodriguez this upcoming offseason. 

9. Brett Myers

Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez's teammate and partner in the Houston Astros pitching rotation, is another likely candidate to be moved this offseason.

Myers will be set to make $12 million in 2012 and it's evident that the Astros are moving into the rebuilding stage. Once in rebuilding mode, the Astros will look to unload all of their higher priced players and Myers is atop of that list.

Myers will be in high demand this offseason and I believe he is one of the more likely players to be moved.

8. Ted Lilly

In case you live under a rock and haven't heard, the Los Angeles Dodgers are and their owner are currently in a financial nightmare.

While some are speculating that the Dodgers' marquee players like Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw will be moved because they wouldn't be able to afford the type of contracts they will demand, I believe they will do everything in their financial power to keep those two in Dodger blue for a long time to come.

However, that will make the other valuable players on their roster susceptible to being moved and Ted Lilly should be on that list. Lilly is still a quality veteran pitcher who would help a playoff bubble team in need of some starting pitching.

7. Juan Uribe

Juan Uribe is another player who will likely be moved due to the Dodgers' financial crisis. Uribe had a disappointing season for the Dodgers in the first year of his newly signed three-year contract.

His .204 batting average and .264 on-base percentage might scare some teams away, but Uribe still has something left in the tank.

If a team is looking for a utility infielder, expect Uribe to be moved this offseason.

6. Ryan Dempster

Ryan Dempster is an interesting trade candidate and it will all depend on whether or not the Cubs plan on rebuilding or increasing their payroll to sign an Albert Pujols/Prince Fielder type of player.

If the Cubs do intend on making a move in 2012, expect Dempster to stay put since they will need all of the pitching they can get.

5. Joakim Soria

The combination of the high demand for an experienced MLB closer and the emergence of Kansas City's All-Star reliever Aaron Crow makes Joakim Soria a prime trade candidate this offseason.

Despite the disappointing season in 2011, Soria is still only 27 years old and has proven that he can be a legitimate closer.

If a team needs relief help, expect Soria to be one of the first to be inquired on.

4. Chone Figgins

Where oh where has Chone Figgins gone?

Trust me, the Seattle Mariners are asking the same exact thing.

After signing a four-year contract in 2009 worth up to $36 million, Figgins has done little to prove why he was worthy of such a contract. Maybe a change of scenery is all Figgins needs, because he is certainly more than capable of playing some more quality baseball at only 33 years old.

3. Michael Cuddyer

The Minnesota Twins are currently in a tough situation.

The superstars on the team in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau had injury-plagued seasons in 2011, so Michael Cuddyer stepped up and led the Twins offense all season long.

Cuddyer will be in high demand if the Twins choose to move him and will certainly get a lot in return via a trade.

2. Barry Zito

Barry Zito will be one of the toughest players to trade in all of baseball.

Zito still has two years remaining on his contract that will pay him close to $40 million. When considering he has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball ever since he signed that contract, you might wonder why any team would be crazy enough to take on that contract.

That is certainly a valid point, but I still believe that Zito will be moved this offseason. With the emergence of Ryan Vogelsong, there is simply no room for Zito in the San Francisco Giants' starting rotation.

On top of that, the Giants have already proven that they are willing to eat the contracts of their under-performing and overpaid players; see Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada.

It will be tough, but the Giants will find a way to get Barry Zito off of their roster come the 2012 season.

1. Aubrey Huff

On top of the Barry Zito dilemma, the Giants will have another problem to solve: What to do with Aubrey Huff?

Huff helped lead the Giants to a World Series Championship in 2010 and was greatly rewarded for his efforts at the end of the year with a two-year, $22 million contract. It's safe to say that Huff hasn't played well enough to deserve that type of money in 2011 and to make matters worse, his clubhouse presence and contract were likely the only things that kept him in the lineup all season long.

I'm sure Huff is a great guy and I can see why manager Bruce Bochy kept putting him in the lineup every single day. However, the fact that he took valuable playing time away from rookies like Brandon Belt and Brett Pill was definitely an unpopular occurrence.

Teams might not be interested in Huff and the Giants might not even be interested in dealing Huff themselves. However, if the Giants want to allow Belt and Pill to play every day in 2012 to finally prove themselves, there is simply no room for Huff in the lineup.