The 2014 MLB offseason has been underway for several weeks, meaning it’s about that time when we’ll start to see some major dominoes fall.
Some big pieces have already fallen. Russell Martin has gone north of the border to the Toronto Blue Jays. Adam LaRoche is headed to the South Side of Chicago to suit up for the White Sox. Billy Butler left the American League champion Kansas City Royals to play for the team they beat in the Wild Card Game, the Oakland Athletics.
We’ve seen some major bats change locations in the first month of free agency, but what about the available bats on the trade market? Free agency will eventually run out of valuable sluggers, and teams will look elsewhere for solutions to their offensive woes.
Below are the latest rumors surrounding a few available bats.
Justin Upton, a free agent after the upcoming season, is no stranger to trade rumors. While with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the outfielder was the focus of more speculation than most young stars. His name has popped up yet again, via Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
“The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward,” Sherman wrote.
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal confirmed the rumor, noting a potential fit for the 27-year-old:
The Texas Rangers could use some more power, especially of the right-handed variety. Power from that side of the plate has been hard to come by in recent years, and his 29 home runs in 2014 serve as an example of how prolific his power truly is.
The only right-handed hitter who had more home runs in the National League last season was Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 37 bombs and got paid handsomely as a result.
Given Sherman’s report, it will be interesting to see which prospects the Rangers will have to part with to bring Upton aboard. If the Braves want more value than Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins, they’ll have to start talks with Joey Gallo. The names of pitchers Luis Ortiz and Yohander Mendez will probably also be brought up.
While Gallo is a left-handed bat (not exactly hard to come by today), he is going to be a truly special talent. He hit 42 homers in the minors this season, and his bat is so valuable that Jon Daniels is already trying to fast-track him to the bigs, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.
“Versatility is a plus,” Daniels said. “It gives both the club and the player options. Joey’s a good athlete and, while we don’t doubt he can play third, this is an easy way to give him additional paths to the big leagues, when the time comes that he’s ready and we have a need.”
Right-handed power may be hard to come by, but you don’t give up on a guy who just mashed 42 big flies in the minors for someone like Upton. The Rangers should make him off-limits.
Brandon Moss
Brandon Moss was a second-half disappointment for the A’s, hitting just .173/.310/.274 in 58 games after the All-Star break. He played primarily outfield and first base for Oakland.
Now that the A’s have Ike Davis in the fold, Moss and a few other lefty bats on the team could be on their way out of Oakland, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle:
With the winter meetings starting in two weeks, having Davis on the roster as a stopgap means that the A’s more easily can explore deals for any of their left-handed hitters who DH, play first or in the outfield, including Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick and John Jaso. … According to two sources, the A’s are getting calls about their left-handed hitters.
Moss is an interesting trade candidate. It’s hard to fall in love with a player who posted an OPS of .584 in the second half of the season, but he also mashed 21 homers in the first 89 games.
It wouldn’t be easy to platoon him either. He’s a lefty bat who hit significantly better against southpaws than he did against righties in 2014 (.268 compared to .228).
Trading Reddick or Jaso would be the far better move for Oakland, especially Reddick. Following his breakout season in 2012, he hasn’t found the same success.
Reddick could also bring a surprising amount in a trade because of his defense. He won a Gold Glove in 2012. If the A’s are focused on trading a lefty bat, it should be him.
Matt Joyce
Matt Joyce, 30, has been a valuable member of the Tampa Bay Rays for the past six seasons. His best season came in 2011, when he mashed 19 homers and made the All-Star team.
But Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote about how more was always expected of the Tampa Bay native: “He never became the impact player he and the Rays hoped he would be, either—depending on your view—not getting or not earning the chance to start against left-handers.”
Joyce is perhaps the purest example of a platoon player in the game today. He hit .263/.365/.393 with eight homers in 384 at-bats against righties this year but just .147/.143/.265 in 34 at-bats against lefties.
He doesn’t just struggle against southpaws—the Rays don’t even give him a chance.
Given the fact that his salary will rise through arbitration this year, Tampa Bay could look to move him. Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi tweeted that the organization has already let teams know he’s for sale:
Joyce would be a quality addition to any team at the right price. He is only useful against righties, but most of the league is comprised of such pitchers.
Whichever team acquires him must have a capable hitter against lefties in place, though. A manager could be put in a difficult position when the opposition brings in a lefty specialist to take on Joyce. Either he leaves him in to strike out or replaces him with a far inferior player.
He’ll likely be moved given the way the Rays do business with rising contracts, but it’ll be interesting to see where he lands.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
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