Although the easiest way for teams to improve their rosters is through free agency, organizations are getting creative with trades to upgrade for 2016 this winter. By trading, teams are able to stay away from long-term deals that can cripple franchises.
But that doesn’t mean that working with another team is always the best idea. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a handful of offseason trade targets that teams might want to steer clear of.
In most deals, teams are looking for young prospects in exchange for their established major leaguers. As we learned in 2015, young talent has become the most valuable currency in baseball. Teams must carefully evaluate the risk associated with parting with that young talent before pulling the trigger on a potential deal.
As talented as Aroldis Chapman, Elvis Andrus, Jonathan Papelbon and other trade targets have proven to be during their careers, teams must be wary of surrendering attractive young players to acquire their services.
In Chapman’s case, is giving up a treasure trove of prospects worth one year of a one-inning pitcher? Papelbon has proven to be a nuisance in the clubhouse, while Andrus’ outlandish contract and lack of production give him virtually no value.
Would you want your team to trade for any of these players? Will the short-term improvements your team sees validate the long-term risk? Let us know in the comment section below.
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