MLB Trade Rumors: Ranking 7 Best Outfielders Who Could Be Moved

For 28 out of the 30 Major League Baseball teams, it is now the offseason. That means that it is time to begin making those moves to climb into contention next year.

Of course, free agency is often a game changer, but today, we're going to talk about some offseason trades that have been rumored. In particular, I have seven big-name outfielders who might be on the move this winter.

7. Angel Pagan

Angel Pagan is a little bit different than the rest of the outfielders on this list, but he is similar in the fact that he is still rumored to be potentially on the move. He definitely has a lot more about speed than power. Last season, he hit .262, which was low for him. He drove in 56 RBI, had seven home runs and stole 32 bases.

He is not necessarily a star, but he can definitely provide a threat on the base paths and some occasional pop. He's 30 years old, so this is definitely the time for him to try to make some money. He could be a high-value pickup for a low price.

6. Vernon Wells

It was probably not a good idea to initially sign Vernon Wells to such a huge contract, but his name is still being floated around in rumors this winter.

He had a decent year in 2011, as he hit .218 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI. This is definitely a far cry from some of the numbers he had previously posted in Toronto. However, he definitely still has pop and could recover the average that he used to have.

The picture for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is relatively crowded, so Wells might become an expendable piece if they can find a partner to take on that salary.

5. Denard Span

Denard Span was part of that crowded Minnesota outfield that put a lot of names on the trade block near the deadline. However, he is still rumored to be moved this winter.

He battled injury problems this season and had extraordinarily limited playing time. He only appeared in 70 games and hit .264 with two home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases. He is a speedy centerfielder who would normally steal more bases and provide some top of the lineup punch. He does not strike out very much and would provide a pretty nice on-base percentage.

In theory, he is just entering his prime at 27 years old. If he can avoid the injury bug that plagued him this year, he would definitely be desirable on the trade market this winter.

4. Andre Ethier

According to Ray Guilfoyle, Andre Ethier will probably not re-sign in Los Angeles after 2012. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense for them to trade him now and get some decent value back.

Last season, he hit .292 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI in 135 games. Although this season was arguably the least productive in his career, he still has all the potential that he had in 2009 when he hit .272 with 31 home runs and 106 RBI.

Of course, his trade value might not be as high as it has been in the past just because the season was not as productive, but it is very likely that he could be on the move somewhere this winter.

3. Nick Swisher

There have been rumors out there about Carlos Beltran potentially signing with the New York Yankees. Because of that, the outfield might become a little bit crowded, and Nick Swisher could definitely be traded.

He had a pretty good year, as he hit .260 with 23 home runs and 85 RBI. Granted, he played for the incredibly high scoring Yankees, but that is still solid run production. He could be a very solid bat in the middle of the lineup for some team.

This might not necessarily occur because the Yankees might want to keep him, but it could most definitely happen.

2. BJ Upton

BJ Upton always seems to be involved in a trade rumor somewhere, but he will be rumored to be on the move again this winter.

Upton hit .243 this season with 23 home runs and 81 RBI. He is always a 20-20 threat, but 30-30 is not even really out of the picture. He has a ton of potential that has never really been totally unleashed due to the fact that he does strike out quite a bit.

He is still only 27, so some of his best years are probably ahead of him. It would make a lot of sense to pick him up this winter and hopefully benefit from all the production that he is capable of providing from the top or middle of the lineup.

1. Carlos Quentin

I have not seen any particular rumors about him being traded this winter, but because his name was associated with quite a few rumors over the trade deadline, he could be a target again this winter.

He had a relatively good season in terms of power production, as he hit 24 home runs. However, his average was .254, and he only drove in 77 runs. The .254 batting average is the second-highest in his career, however, so maybe that is a sign of good things to come. He is only 29 years old right now, so that would be a good thing in terms of his value.

The Chicago White Sox have shopped him before, so he very well could be finally on the move this offseason.