Several big names changed addresses during the winter meetings earlier this week, but there are still plenty of premier players available to be had via trades.
This MLB offseason is quickly shaping up to be one of the most active in recent memory. There weren’t that many top-notch free agents, but the ones who were available were franchise-changers. Of course, a shortage of free agents means the trade market is a hotbed for new rumors and player movement.
Some of the best at their respective positions have been floated around the rumor mill over the course of the past week. Very few players are safe from trades this time of year, so you should never be surprised when aces and middle-of-the-order bats are made available.
Below are a few of the most recent names to hit the mill.
Cole Hamels
The interest in Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels is sure to heat up now that Jon Lester has found the place he’ll pitch for the next several seasons.
One team thought to be in on the left-hander is the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the team won’t get involved in talks with the Phils:
The “heavy lifting” Sherman refers to is the bevy of moves L.A. made during the winter meetings. It shipped Dee Gordon to the Miami Marlins, acquired Howie Kendrick from the Los Angeles Angels, signed Brandon McCarthy to a four-year deal, acquired Jimmy Rollins and dealt Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres.
Talk about a busy couple of days.
Despite the roster overhaul, the Dodgers could still have the pieces necessary to make a deal with Philadelphia. Shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena, now displaced by Rollins, is an attractive piece given his outstanding defense.
Los Angeles also has top prospect Corey Seager though it’s unclear as to if he’ll be available.
The way the current rotation is structured, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke would open things up at Nos. 1 and 2 before the likes of Hyun-Jin Ryu and McCarthy make their starts. Juan Nicasio is probably the No. 5 at this point.
Hamels is an obvious upgrade over Nicasio, and a deal would make the Dodgers rotation absurdly deep. That’s enough incentive to get a deal done, but it still appears as if they’ll only target bench and depth pieces now that they’ve made so many big moves.
This is certainly a situation to monitor closely. The Dodgers could reenter the bidding at the drop of a hat.
Jay Bruce
The Cincinnati Reds have already traded Mat Latos this offseason, and there’s even more talent on that underachieving roster to be dealt. General manager Walt Jocketty spoke toward the end of November about how he plans on handling the offseason, via John Fay of Cincinnati.com.
“We’re still talking to both agents and clubs about trades. We really aren’t close on anything.”
It still appears as if they aren’t close on anything, as Sherman tweeted about how the Baltimore Orioles attempted to strike a deal with the club:
The Orioles have a desperate need for outfield bats after losing Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz to free agency. As the roster currently stands, Alejandro De Aza and David Lough would play the corners with All-Star Adam Jones manning center field. That won’t cut it.
It’s unclear as to what the Reds have asked for in return for Bruce, but it’s safe to assume that arms like Brian Matusz and Dylan Bundy came up in talks. It’s no surprise that Baltimore may have scoffed at those requests.
Baltimore isn’t the only team that has a need for a power bat. Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller opined that the San Diego Padres are a perfect fit:
The Padres have already acquired Kemp, and new GM A.J. Preller has shown a willingness to upgrade his lineup. Before Pablo Sandoval and Yasmany Tomas signed with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively, Preller and the Padres were involved in talks.
Bruce could very well man right field in Cincy in 2015, but the incentive to move him is high. The 27-year-old has mashed 187 homers through seven seasons, making him one of the best pure power bats in the game.
If the Padres are unsuccessful in their possible attempts to land Bruce, they could turn to another power bat currently playing right field for the Atlanta Braves.
Justin Upton was the No. 2 right-handed power hitter in the National League in 2014, smashing 29 homers and leading the Braves offense. He has been the subject of rumors for most of the offseason. The trade of Jason Heyward acted as a bit of a catalyst to those talks.
MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that the Padres are in the mix for his bat:
A pairing of Upton and Kemp in the outfield would instantly make the Friars lineup a productive group. They ranked last in baseball this year by scoring a dreadful 535 runs.
Should they get Upton, the team would then be in a position to deal from their outfield depth and improve other areas of the team.
Carlos Quentin would be displaced by a trade, but his days as an outfielder are pretty much numbered. He’s best suited for a job in the American League as a designated hitter.
A trade would also make one of Cameron Maybin or Will Venable expendable.
The Padres offense has already improved enough with Kemp to make other NL West teams take notice, but adding Upton would aid immensely.
Look out for San Diego in 2015 if it can pull this off.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
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