Kuzul

Major League Baseball’s reigning home run champion has a new contract, and it’s not the most expensive contract signed this winter.

Not even close.

Mark Trumbo, he of the league-leading 47 home runs in 2016, agreed to return to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports was first with the details of his new deal:

And that’s all there is to it. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there’s no opt-out in Trumbo‘s contract. He’ll be an Oriole for three more years, spanning his age-31 season to his age-33 season.

With that, we now know the terms of the 11th-largest contract signed this winter.

Trumbo‘s deal ranks just ahead of the three-year, $33 million pact that Kendrys Morales signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. The group of 10 players ahead of him is headlined by Yoenis Cespedes at four years and $110 million and also includes three relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon), a platoon outfielder (Josh Reddick) and an oft-injured starter (Rich Hill).

OK, so it’s not the biggest injustice that Trumbo won’t be making more money than most or all of those guys. But if nothing else, he is coming in under initial projections.

The guys at MLB Trade Rumors, for example, had Trumbo pegged for $60 million over four years. That didn’t sound so unreasonable for a guy who had hit 131 homers in five major league seasons even before breaking out in 2016. Teams normally do love power, after all.

But in retrospect, the danger of Trumbo struggling to find a market existed from the very beginning.

As good as it looks on the surface, Trumbo‘s career year in 2016 was more like a career half-year. He was unstoppable with a .923 OPS and 28 homers in the first half. He was then quite stoppable in the second half with a .754 OPS and 19 homers.

This was an effect of pitchers treating Trumbo like the kind of slugger he was. As Brooks Baseball shows, the righty swinger’s first-half power was concentrated on the inside. So pitchers went from challenging him:

To pitching him almost exclusively away:

A more advanced hitter might have been able to adjust, but nobody’s ever accused Trumbo of being one of those. With too many strikeouts and not quite enough walks, his hitting has always been about power first and everything else second.

That’s one thing prospective suitors had to worry about. They also had to worry about Trumbo‘s defensive limitations.

He’s not too shabby a first baseman, but most of his experience has been in corner outfield spots. With minus-24 defensive runs saved for his career, he has been shabby there. The man himself was honest back in July, saying the outfield is “daunting” at times, per Eno Sarris of FanGraphs.

Trumbo was thus prepared to head out onto the open market with a bat-only profile in which even the bat came with question marks. He then added another black mark to his profile when he rejected a $17.2 million qualifying offer from the Orioles, tying himself to draft-pick compensation.

In past offseasons, he might have found his desired payday anyway. Heck, it was just a couple years ago that Nelson Cruz, an older hitter with a similar profile, landed $58 million despite being tied to draft-pick compensation.

But at a certain point, it became apparent this offseason was different.

Reality started to sink in when Edwin Encarnacion signed with the Cleveland Indians for just $60 million over three years. That was well below the $92 million MLBTR projected for him and less than he seemingly deserved in light of his average totals (.912 OPS, 39 HR) since 2012.

More recently, Jose Bautista became the next slugger to land short of expectations when he accepted a deal from the Blue Jays that only guarantees $18 million for one year.

With Trumbo being the latest to come in below expectations, things aren’t looking so hot for remaining free-agent sluggers Chris Carter, Mike Napoli, Brandon Moss, Pedro Alvarez and Adam Lind.

Certainly, this is an unusually large collection of sluggers for a single offseason. But as Dave Cameron argued at FanGraphs, there’s something fishy about any notion of there being more supply than demand:

But the way you get a big supply of free agents or players available in trade at one spot is to have a lot of teams losing a player at that spot, so if the demand was there to replace the skillset, price shouldn’t be impacted all that heavily. But what we have now is supply without demand, as there just aren’t that many teams looking to add bat-first players to their rosters this winter…

This could be teams miscalculating how much they need power. But since the smart people who run these teams tend to be good with calculations, this is more likely the effect of a larger trend.

This brings us to a reality that B/R’s Jacob Shafer wrote about recently: Power on the free-agent market may be devalued because power is suddenly everywhere in today’s game.

Trumbo wasn’t the only one launching bombs in 2016. Pretty much everyone was. There were more home runs per game last year than every year in baseball history except 2000. In an environment like this one, power hitters aren’t such a rare commodity.

It all adds up to a tough break for Trumbo and a solid deal for the Orioles. And one they needed to make, to boot.

The Orioles won 89 games and nabbed a wild-card spot in 2016 in large part thanks to an offense that clubbed an MLB-high 253 home runs. With Trumbo back in the fold, they once again have a shot to ride a wave of home runs to October.

In lieu of the contract he may have been hoping for, maybe that’ll do as a consolation prize for Trumbo.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

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Outfielder Mark Trumbo agreed to re-sign with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, the team announced. 

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun first reported the deal on Thursday. 

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the three-year deal is for $37.5 million. ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported Trumbo has a limited no-trade clause for seven teams and incentivized, tiered bonuses dependent on how many times he wins the Silver Slugger award. 

Trumbo, 31, had a career year for the Orioles in 2016, hitting .256 with 47 home runs—the most in the major leagues—and 108 RBI. His home run and RBI totals were both career highs.

While Trumbo flashed excellent power earlier in his career—from 2011 to 2013, he hit 95 home runs with 282 RBI for the Los Angeles Angels—he established himself as one of baseball’s most dangerous power hitters last season.

That was in stark contrast to his stints with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners in 2014 and 2015, when he totaled just 36 homers and 125 RBI.

His surge in production left him as one of the most appealing free agents on the market for teams looking to add a big bopper to the middle of their lineups. That made Baltimore’s chances of retaining him uncertain, though Trumbo seemed inclined to return to the Orioles following the season.

“I love it here,” he told Steve Melewski of MASN after the team’s Wild Card Game loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. “Had a great time and I’m sure we’ll talk at some point. Who wouldn’t (want to come back)? It has been an absolute blast this year.”

The Orioles wanted him back just as much and now will be hoping that Trumbo’s power numbers were his new norm and not an outlier.

If Trumbo doesn’t knock the ball out of the park, his value wanes. He’s a below-average fielder, and he’s unlikely to provide a great batting average or on-base percentage. Baltimore bet big money that Trumbo’s power surge will continue in 2017.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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With the holiday season fast approaching, most major business around Major League Baseball is nearing its conclusion. Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Yoenis Cespedes have all found huge contracts, as have Justin Turner, Mark Melancon and Dexter Fowler.

Other lesser free agents, like Neil Walker and Jeremy Hellickson, accepted huge one-year qualifying offers to stick around in their current digs. The stragglers remaining on the market consist of two big-time sluggers being tepidly pursued due to their qualifying offers (Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista) and another who packs a lot of pop to go with bouts of inconsistency (Mark Trumbo).

As such, some teams have turned to stoking the trade hot stove to land an impact player. Others remain hopeful on the free-agent market that the likes of Encarnacion or Bautista will lower their prices, or perhaps another bargain will emerge on a short-term contract.

Here’s an updated look at one of the biggest names generating trade buzz and some free-agency talk.

Orioles Back Away from Trumbo Talks

Trumbo is the most attainable slugger left on the market. He does not come attached to a qualifying offer, which would force teams to surrender a first-round pick in exchange for his services. He’s also a deeply flawed player and one of the worst individual defenders in baseball when on the field—he absolutely needs to hit with elite power to be effective.

In 2016, Trumbo did just that. His 47 home runs blasted his previous career high and were four more than anyone else. It speaks to his level of poor defensive skills that Trumbo walked away with just 2.2 wins above replacement last season, per FanGraphs.

With most teams recognizing Trumbo is better off as a designated hitter—especially as his next contract takes him deeper into his 30s—the market has been tepid. Even 10 years ago, Trumbo likely would have commanded a multiyear deal that pushed close to nine figures. Now he’s having trouble finding a deal he’s even willing to take.

Roch Kubatko of MASN reported the Orioles have grown disillusioned with Trumbo’s asking price and pulled their offer. ESPN’s Buster Olney previously reported Baltimore offered a four-year deal worth between $52 million and $55 million, while Trumbo’s counter asked for $75 million to $80 million over the same stretch.

The Orioles are the more realistic party in this scenario. No team in its right mind should be offering Trumbo $20 million per season. He’d belted 36 home runs total over his previous two seasons before breaking out in 2016 and was actually worth -1.2 wins in 2014. 

It’s possible the Orioles can wait this out and get Trumbo’s price to come down into their range.

Orioles Still Not Ruling Out Wieters Return

The Orioles signed catcher Welington Castillo last week to a one-year, $6 million contract, which carries a $7 million player option for 2018. Castillo will likely walk into 2017 as Baltimore’s starting backstop, and he comes on a relative bargain.

Most assumed Castillo’s signing would mark the end of Matt Wieters‘ time in Baltimore. Wieters, a 2007 first-round pick, has spent his entire career in the Baltimore organization. He never became the superstar many pegged coming out of Georgia Tech but put together a solid 124-game campaign in 2016 after having his previous two years mired by injuries.

The market has nonetheless been slow, with agent Scott Boras acknowledging it’ll likely be January before Wieters finds a contract.

“The clubs that need catching are pretty well-defined,” Boras said, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. “Some are thinking about moving players to make room for him, so the timetable always on catching, I don’t know what it is; it’s always been—I can’t think of one I’ve represented that didn’t sign in January, but they do.”

Given the market, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported a potential Wieters-Baltimore reunion shouldn’t be ruled out. It wouldn’t make all that much sense on paper. The Orioles already have a solid defensive backup in Caleb Joseph, who some have argued is a better all-around catcher than Castillo. 

The only logical scenario in which Wieters returns is one where he accepts a 50-50 platoon with Castillo on a short-term deal. That’ll likely be a nonstarter for the Boras client, who will want either a long-term deal or a clear starting job.

But the Orioles like late-winter signings, so it’s not entirely out of the question.

Tigers Looking to Move J.D. Martinez

Two years away from potentially hitting the free-agent market, J.D. Martinez has become a hot commodity in trade circles. Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reported the Tigers are open to moving Martinez but are having trouble finding teams willing to part with their asking price. Detroit, a team with deep pockets and the ability to pay Martinez long term, is looking for “young, controllable talent” as part of any package.

The asking price is understandable. Martinez has produced 10.8 wins over the last three seasons, per FanGraphs, and still hit .307/.373/.535 with 22 home runs and 68 runs batted in despite missing 42 games in 2016. That absence helped lead to the worst defensive season of his career, but Martinez is a four- or five-win player when he plays even average defense.

There aren’t many teams around baseball that couldn’t use someone like Martinez. The Tigers could use him. That’s why they’ve set the price so high.

But it’s also why they’re going to have trouble finding a suitor until someone gets desperate. 

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The timing couldn’t be much worse for an aging slugger in MLB free agency.

Mike Napoli (35) and Mark Trumbo (30) are both coming off productive seasons, but they’ve yet to find new homes. Although Jose Bautista (36) had an underwhelming campaign, he still boasts an impressive track record. Despite that, he hasn’t signed with a team, either.

The wait may be worth it. Justin Upton didn’t agree to terms with the Detroit Tigers until January last offseason yet still commanded nearly $133 million over six years, per Spotrac.

Napoli’s, Trumbo’s and Bautista’s signings may not be imminent, but the rumors below illustrate that their failures to get new deals aren’t the result of a lack of interest.

Mike Napoli

Napoli registered career highs in home runs (34) and RBI (101) in 2016, but that hasn’t helped him in free agency, given that he remains without a team.

On Dec. 6, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reported Napoli’s agent is holding out for a multiyear contract. Bastian added the Cleveland Indians were holding firm on a one-year offer.

In an interview on MLB Network Radio last Sunday, Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said contract discussions were ongoing: “We continue the dialogue with him, as we do with other 1B/DH options. Confident we start next year with a better roster.”

Napoli added a lot of power to the middle of Cleveland’s lineup, and “Party at Napoli’s” became a rallying cry for the team as it won its first pennant since 1997.

With that said, the Indians are smart to be cautious about signing Napoli for too long. He turned 35 in October, so it’s risky to expect he can repeat last season’s success at the plate. 

A small-market team like Cleveland can’t afford to make a mistake on a lucrative contract for an older veteran. The Indians learned that lesson the hard way after signing Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in 2013.

Napoli has found a comfort zone in Cleveland. He would not only have an assured place in the lineup, but he would also have the opportunity to compete for another World Series so long as the key players stay healthy.

Napoli and the Indians should meet halfway and agree to a two-year deal with an option for the second year. Napoli would get his multiyear contract, and Cleveland would have a little more protection should his performance regress.

Prediction: Napoli signs with the Indians.

Jose Bautista

Bautista picked the wrong time to have his worst year offensively since his career renaissance began in 2010.

The 36-year-old had a .234/.366/.452 slash line to go along with 22 home runs and 69 RBI. According to FanGraphs, his strikeout rate climbed to 19.9 percent, up from 15.9 percent the year before.

Like Napoli, Bautista was largely anonymous in the playoffs. He went 6-for-33 in the postseason with two home runs, five RBI and 12 strikeouts.

In addition to his lackluster offensive production, MLB.com’s Daren Willman showed that defense is becoming a growing concern for Bautista:

On Dec. 6, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reported Bautista met with the Toronto Blue Jays, indicating the two parties may be open to a reunion.

MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported that Joey Bats’ available options are dwindling. Morosi spoke to sources who said that the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants have pulled out of the running and that the Los Angeles Dodgers may prefer a trade rather than free agency to bolster their outfield.

Bautista is a fan favorite in Toronto, and relying on Ezequiel Carrera as their everyday right fielder isn’t an optimal plan for the Blue Jays. Re-signing Bautista wouldn’t just be a sentimental move; it would also address what looks to be an issue in the lineup.

Prediction: Bautista signs with the Blue Jays.

Mark Trumbo

Heyman reported on Dec. 7 that Trumbo is looking to get $80 million in free agency and that the price tag hasn’t scared off teams that are interested in signing the 30-year-old.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Derrick Goold reported that signing Dexter Fowler wouldn’t preclude the St. Louis Cardinals from going after Trumbo. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted the Colorado Rockies would be in the mix as well, even after making a splashy free-agent addition:

MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko didn’t provide specific figures but reported on Sunday that the Baltimore Orioles “are believed to have the best offer on the table.”

Age is somewhat of an advantage for Trumbo in this year’s free-agent market. At 30, he’s nearing the end of his prime playing years, but he’s still younger than Napoli, Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion (33).

It’s fair to question whether Trumbo can repeat his 47 home runs and 108 RBI, but outside of his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he has been a solid power hitter. Over seven years, he has averaged 34 homers, 99 RBI and a .473 slugging percentage per 162 games, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The Rockies would be a good fit for Trumbo.

The Ian Desmond signing was a statement of intent by the franchise. Adding Trumbo to a lineup that already includes Desmond, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado would give Colorado an imposing offense.

As Rosenthal argued, getting Trumbo would provide the Rockies with enough flexibility to deal Carlos Gonzalez for present or future assets.

Trumbo would likely have a better chance to contend in Baltimore, but the Rockies should be a strong suitor for his services if that isn’t a decisive factor in his decision.

Prediction: Trumbo signs with the Rockies.

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Like a cotton candy maker, baseball’s winter meetings tend to spit out anything that sticks.

Sure, deals are made like the one that saw Chris Sale traded to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. But speculation, more than anything, is the product of the meetings.

It’s tough to determine which of the hottest thoughts, rumors and conjecture might end up being true, but we’ll give it a try and play or fiction with what has emerged thus far from baseball’s annual conclave.

Begin Slideshow

Free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo is coming off a career season, which will only drive up his value on the market this winter.  

Continue for updates.

Trumbo Getting Plenty of Interest

Monday, Nov. 14

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported Monday that the market for Trumbo “is bustling,” which will increase the chances of him declining the qualifying offer from his former team, the Baltimore Orioles. 

The Orioles extended a $17.2 million offer for 2017 to Trumbo on Nov. 7, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. 

The 30-year-old signed with Baltimore via free agency last winter and exceeded his one-year, $9.15 million deal (h/t Spotrac) by leaps and bounds in 2016. 

He led the majors with a career-high 47 home runs along with 108 RBI as the big bopper of an Orioles lineup that hit an MLB-best 253 home runs.

It was a major resurgence for a player whose career was called into question after a two-year stretch in 2014 and 2015 in which he hit 14 and 22 home runs, respectively, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. 

For a player whose career batting average is .251, he had to display power in order to remain a legitimate contributor within an MLB lineup. 

He had flashed his power upon his introduction to the big leagues with 95 home runs in three years with the Los Angeles Angels, but his first and possibly only year with the Orioles made him a big-time power bat who is now being coveted throughout the league. 

While specific suitors for Trumbo have not been disclosed as of yet, FanGraphs’ Dave Cameron is projecting him to sign a four-year, $66 million deal, which brings an average of $16.5 million per year. 

If Trumbo were to accept the qualifying offer, he would make more than that but run the risk of a down 2017 season diminishing his value in the long run.

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The AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles have a formula for winning games, and they’re sticking to it.

This is thanks in no small part to Mark Trumbo, who just won’t stop dropping Trumbombs.

Trumbo entered Monday’s contest against the Kansas City Royals with 18 home runs, tied with Todd Frazier for the MLB lead. The blast that he cranked leading off the bottom of the seventh inning leapfrogged him ahead of Frazier and, oh yeah, tied a game the Orioles went on to win 4-1.

All rise for loud noises and the sight of a ball landing many feet from home plate:

That dinger was one of Trumbo‘s two hits, upping his average to .295 and his OPS to .953. It also put him just three shy of matching the 22 homers he hit in 142 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners last year. And if he stays on this pace, ESPN.com calculates he’ll finish with 55 homers. That would top his previous career best by 21.

In good, old-fashioned plain English: The 30-year-old slugger seems to have turned a corner.

“A lot of guys 28 to 32 start figuring out some things,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times recently. “You have to be careful about writing them off and saying, ‘This is who they are going to be.’ Guys like Mark, they keep learning, they keeping taking in new things.”

At first, it might not seem like Trumbo has actually learned anything. With a strikeout rate of 26.8 percent that’s par for the course, he’s still struggling to subdue his biggest flaw. Likewise, he’s still not drawing many walks. To wit, his power still looks like his only redeeming quality on offense. 

But when a hitter is maximizing power the way Trumbo is maximizing his, that’s OK.

It may not look like it based on his walk and strikeout rates, but one thing Trumbo is doing in 2016 is making better choices with his swings. Entering Monday, he was chasing pitches outside the zone at a career-low 32.4 percent clip. Likewise, his swing rate on pitches inside the zone was 71.8 percent, just a hair down from last year’s career high of 72.2.

When Trumbo has made contact, it’s been the kind of contact he wants: in the air and loud. He entered Monday with a ground ball-to-fly ball ratio of 0.86, a career low by plenty. And according to Statcast data at Baseball Savant, the top of the exit velocity leaderboard looked like this:

Last month, Kevin Ruprecht of SB Nation offered a comprehensive breakdown of exactly what Trumbo is doing differently in 2016. Arguably most important is how he’s being more selective with low pitches, perhaps due to his latest experimentation with his timing mechanism.

If that’s the case, be warned this isn’t guaranteed to last forever. Trumbo has gotten results out of a timing adjustment before, only to have those results vanish over the long haul. And in general, he’s been a fast starter and a slow finisher throughout his career.

If Trumbo can keep this up, however, he’ll be doing his part to maintain the Orioles’ preferred offensive weapon. 

The point that the Orioles like hitting home runs won’t be breaking news to anyone who’s noticed them club over 200 homers in each of the last four seasons. Even still, it’s newsworthy that they’re going especially silly with dingers in 2016. With 83 through 56 games, they’re on pace for about 240. In franchise history, only the 1996 Orioles have done better than that.

Home runs aren’t the only recent strength the Orioles are taking to an extreme in 2016. They had excellent bullpens in 2012, 2014 and 2015, but even “excellent” doesn’t do their current bullpen justice. Its 2.73 ERA is the best the Orioles have enjoyed in the last five seasons. This year, it ranks second in MLB behind only the Royals.

To boot, Baltimore’s two big strengths have been playing in concert with one another. After Matt Wieters and Manny Machado also went deep Monday, the Orioles now have an MLB-high 31 home runs in innings seven through nine. Those have set opponents up, and the bullpen has knocked ’em down.

For now, this dynamic is allowing the Orioles to hide their lousy starting pitching. In the long run, though, even the man in charge seems hesitant to trust its sustainability.

“It’s not easy,” Showalter said of scoring off opposing bullpens, via Brittany Ghiroli and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. “Over the course of the season, if you’re not getting runs, off of those guys you are not going to like the results. So, we’ve been fortunate. It’s not something you like to depend on, getting runs off those guys.”

However, if guys like Wieters, Adam Jones and Pedro Alvarez add even more power to the pile, the Orioles may not need to rely as much on home runs of the heroic variety. That, plus continued domination from their bullpen, would allow the Orioles to keep hiding their lackluster starting pitching.

It was obvious at the outset of 2016 that the Orioles were designed on paper to win games with lots of dingers and an outstanding bullpen. The worry was how well their design would actually come together on the field, as there were questions abound.

With Trumbo obliterating baseballs better than ever, one of those questions has gotten a resounding answer. Others have gotten satisfying answers. And together, it all adds up to a team that doesn’t seem interested in straying far from the top of the AL East.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo slugged a pair of home runs during the seventh inning of Friday’s 11-5 win over the Texas Rangers, becoming just the second player in franchise history to homer twice in the same inning, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info).

The only other player to accomplish the feat was Ken Williams, who did so in 1922 when the team was known as the St. Louis Browns.

Trumbo‘s two-run and three-run homers accounted for five of the RBI in a nine-run seventh inning, with the Orioles quickly turning a 5-1 deficit into a 10-5 lead.

Acquired this offseason in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, the 30-year-old slugger is now the first player in Orioles history to hit five home runs in his first 10 games with the team, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN Stats & Info).

Trumbo is also the first player to hit two home runs in the same inning of any MLB game since July 26, 2013, when Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion accomplished the feat, per Sportsnet Stats.

Known for his massive power and equally prodigious strikeout totals, Trumbo also hit five home runs through the first 10 games of a season in 2014 while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, per ESPN Stats & Info.

History suggests his current .400 batting average will likely dip well south of .300 sooner rather than later, but for now, the Orioles can largely thank Trumbo for their unexpected 8-2 start and spot at the top of the American League East standings.

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The Seattle Mariners acquired Mark Trumbo in a trade last season, but the 29-year-old veteran’s stay in the Pacific Northwest could be brief.  

Continue for updates.

Report: Rockies Among Those Interested in Trumbo

Tuesday, Dec. 1

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, the M’s could tender Trumbo a contract prior to Wednesday’s deadline before trading him, with the Colorado Rockies emerging as one of the top suitors.

Trumbo is a versatile player capable of playing both corner outfield positions, first base and even some third base. His true value, however, lies in his power at the plate, as he has 131 home runs in 690 career games.

The former 18th-round draft pick hit at least 29 home runs in every season from 2011-2013 with the Los Angeles Angels, and he is coming off of a 22-homer campaign, 13 of which came after the Mariners picked him up in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Although Seattle didn’t make the playoffs, Trumbo provided them with some solid pop as he also hit .263 with 41 RBI in 96 games.

The Mariners are under new management with Jerry DiPoto assuming the GM spot, and per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, Trumbo doesn’t necessarily jive with what the former Angels general manager is trying to accomplish:

Any number of teams could use a right-handed power bat of Trumbo’s ilk, but the Rockies certainly make a ton of sense due to a number of factors.

They have an opening at first base, which may be the safest place to put Trumbo in the field. Also, while the Coors Field effect isn’t what it once was, Trumbo’s light-tower power should still play well in the thin air.

Safeco Field in Seattle tends to stifle power, so Colorado would undoubtedly be a better fit for him and the skill set he brings to the table.

Provided the Rockies are able to pry him away from the Mariners for a reasonable price, a middle of the order featuring Trumbo, Carlos Gonzalez and Nolan Arenado could finally make Colorado a factor in the NL West.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Mondays don’t have to be awful with DraftKings daily fantasy baseball. Even with only 10 games to pick apart on Monday, the possibilities are endless with a massive amount of stars playing.

However, several players have recently started to shine again heading down the final stretch of the season. Here’s a look at those names on the rise before locking in your lineups on DraftKings.

Pitcher: Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves ($8,100)

Julio Teheran has finally turned a corner. The Atlanta Braves starter got off to a rocky start this season but seems to have stabilized down the stretch. Teheran has tallied more than 21 fantasy points in three of his last four starts.

Another factor to take into consideration is his home-away splits with 20.9 fantasy points per game at Turner Field. That pales in comparison to his 8.8 points on the road. Going against the Colorado Rockies, who are 1-5 in their last two series, Teheran should shut the door for fantasy owners.

First Baseman: Mark Trumbo, Seattle Mariners ($3,600)

A change of scenery appears to have benefited Mark Trumbo. The former Los Angeles Angels star was scuffling with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded to the Seattle Mariners. If his recent starts are any indication, he might be the weapon Seattle needed for the future.

Over his last three games, Trumbo has just three hits. However, two were home runs and the other was a double. With an average of 15 points per game in the last three starts, look for Trumbo to serve as a solid first-base option against Felix Doubront and the Oakland Athletics.

Second Baseman: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds ($4,000)

He might not be the player he once was, but Brandon Phillips is more than capable of putting up great fantasy numbers. Starting the year on my “Duds” list, Phillips has put together a good season with several stretches of great production.

As one of the more expensive options on this list, the Reds infielder is well worth the price thanks to his matchup. Going against Buck Farmer, who has an ungodly 8.39 ERA and has been shelled nearly every start, look for Dat Dude to tee off on the rookie. At $1,000 less than the top option, Phillips is worth the price.

Third Baseman: Brett Lawrie, Oakland Athletics ($2,900)

Every once in a while, DraftKings owners can find gems at or below the $3,000 mark at key positions. For those in need of a third baseman who is heating up, Brett Lawrie is the perfect starter.

Since his return to the lineup after back soreness, Lawrie lit up the Rays over the weekend with six hits in three games. Averaging 10.7 points in that series, Lawrie will look to continue that on Monday. Even against Hisashi Iwakuma, Lawrie should outperform his salary for DraftKings owners.

Outfielder: Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves ($3,500)

Nick Markakis still hasn’t found the consistency he once had in Baltimore, but the Braves outfielder is starting to churn out good numbers. Over his last five games, Markakis has averaged 9.2 fantasy points with three extra-base hits and two multihit outings.

At his price tag, owners can afford to put him as a low-end No. 2 option or high-end No. 3. Going against Jorge De La Rosa, who has been erratic in four August starts, Markakis will put up solid numbers for owners at a decent value.

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