With the free-agent market largely devoid of impact talent—aside from Max Scherzer and James Shields, that is—general managers around baseball have little choice but to explore trades in order to plug holes or find the upgrade at a position that they’ve been searching for on their respective rosters.
But in order to swing a deal, a GM must find a willing trade partner, which is often a bigger challenge than coming to an agreement on an actual swap.
Yet there are trades to be made, and based on recent reports from the rumor mill and known team needs, we’ve come up with a few that make sense for all parties involved. Keep in mind that these deals are pure speculation—there’s no indication that any of them have actually been discussed between the teams involved.
Think of it as our crack at playing GM, a pastime that baseball fans have enjoyed for decades, whether it be in their living rooms, ballparks or local watering holes.