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After winning 92 games and a Wild Card berth in 2013, the last thing the Cleveland Indians would want to do is trade away staff ace Justin Masterson, who is currently the lone projected starter with at least one full big league season under his belt. If anything, they need to add another reliable starter to the mix.

But with the 28-year-old entering his last season before he can become a free agent and contract extension talks on hold, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a trade is something they should at least consider. 

The wide $3.75 million gap in the salary proposals for the arbitration hearing to determine Masterson’s 2014 salary—Masterson is asking for $11.8 million; the Indians are offering for $8.05 million—is also likely an indication of why talks didn’t go very far.

If it has become clear that the All-Star right-hander doesn’t fit into the team’s long-term plans because his perceived value isn’t anywhere near the organization’s line of thinking, dealing him prior to Opening Day could be the best “big picture” move the team could make.

The Indians could deal him prior to the trade deadline, but only if the team was well out of playoff contention. With Masterson in the mix, this team is probably too good to fall into that scenario.

Of course, it would be unfathomable to think that the Tribe would deal Masterson now unless they could replace his production prior to the start of the season. In fact, manager Terry Francona tried to squash trade rumors earlier in the offseason by calling Masterson and telling him he wouldn’t be traded, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

But if a scenario presented itself that would allow the Indians to remain competitive in 2014 and beyond, Francona might have to go back on his word. That’s why you never say “never.” Signing Ervin Santana or re-signing Ubaldo Jimenez would qualify as one of these scenarios, as would a trade that involves a major league pitcher returning to Cleveland to go along with the signing of Bronson Arroyo. 

Without either of those two combinations happening, the team would have an extremely difficult time holding up for a 162-game season.

Here are four teams that would likely be interested in Masterson and the potential trade packages that could land him.

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Any team still looking for a starting second baseman is out of options on the free-agent market. Guys like Robinson Cano, Omar Infante and Mark Ellis are long gone.

There’s still the trade market, though. And on that market is one intriguing option: Brandon Phillips.

Yes, it has indeed been a long while since Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Cincinnati Reds had every intention of trading the veteran second baseman over the winter, and the rumor mill has had little to say ever since December.

However, Phillips really shouldn’t be ruled out as a candidate to be moved during spring training. Needs tend to arise during the exhibition season, after all, and it still makes sense for the Reds to move him.

MLB Lead Writer Zachary D. Rymer is here with a rundown on Phillips’ trade candidacy, from what makes him attractive to what teams might be wary of to which teams might be interested in doing business with Cincinnati.

Leave your comments and questions below if you have any, and you’re also welcome to follow Zachary on Twitter.

Follow Zachary: @zachrymer

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There are still options available on the free-agent market, but clubs looking for a “proven closer” have one major option on the trade market to consider:

Former Boston Red Sox and current Philadelphia Phillie Jonathan Papelbon.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com and others reported in December that the Phillies were looking to move the veteran right-hander, who is still owed $26 million over the next two seasons. It’s going to be difficult for them to move Papelbon in light of the size of his contract, but perhaps they’ll find somebody desperate enough to do business before spring training gives way to Opening Day.

MLB Lead Writer Zachary D. Rymer is here to dish on Papelbon’s trade candidacy, from what’s attractive to what’s not attractive to which clubs look like potential landing spots.

Leave your comments and questions below if you have any, and you’re also welcome to follow Zachary on Twitter.

Follow Zachary: @zachrymer

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Major League Baseball’s hot stove is cold, but will only need a few impact moves to heat up again over the next few weeks. Despite pitchers and catchers preparing to arrive for spring training in less than a month, there’s still major business to tend to this offseason.

With arbitration numbers exchanged, settlements achieved and hearings set for February, the short-term payroll for each team is coming into focus for 2014. 

The free-agent market is still ripe with options, but trades could be the most efficient team-building route for the following teams. 

Here are four arbitration-eligible stars who should be moved between now and the start of spring training.

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and Fangraphs, unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 

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This MLB offseason hasn’t included as many big trades as offseasons past. Instead, the importance of free agency has come to the forefront.

With less than a month until pitchers and catchers report for most teams, MLB trade rumors are beginning to heat up. Teams that aren’t in love with the remaining crop of free agents will be looking to make deals to improve without depleting their farm systems.

That being said, the players rumored to be available right now will cost a pretty penny. One is a star, one is a potential front-line starter, and the other is on the verge of stardom. Those are the types of players teams will need to pay the price for.

Their price tags may make them difficult to move, but all signs indicate that these players will be available for the foreseeable future. It might just be a matter of time before they’re dealt.

Giancarlo Stanton

Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton is possibly the most compelling case of “Will he or won’t he?” in the history of the game. Fans have been asking themselves if Stanton will be traded ever since he broke out with 34 home runs in 2011. Given the Marlins’ disinterest in locking up homegrown talent long term, Stanton has always been an ideal trade candidate.

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com also pegs Stanton as a potential trade candidate in the future: “Certainly, Miami has no urgency to trade its slugger. But the reality is, without a multi-year agreement, there is a strong possibility the longest he will be a Marlin is for two more seasons. Stanton becomes a free agent after 2016.”

Stanton is the perfect piece to build around for Miami. He’s a superb outfielder and has more power than arguably anybody else in baseball. Throw in the fact that he’s just 24 years old, and you’ve got yourself a franchise centerpiece. Unfortunately, the Marlins are infamous for dealing young talent.

Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis are great examples of young guys who were dealt before expensive long-term commitments had to be given out. Stanton could follow that same path, but the return Miami could get for him might be even larger than the Cabrera-Willis return. (For those who don’t remember, that return featured outfielder Cameron Maybin and pitcher Andrew Miller, among others).

It’s hard to see a situation in which the Marlins let Stanton walk without getting anything in return. He’ll be dealt; it’s just a matter of when.

Jeff Samardzija

The Chicago Cubs are currently working hard to sign Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka, and their pursuit of him will have a direct impact on starter Jeff Samardzija.

Samardzija had been one of the many topics of discussion during winter meetings, though nothing has piqued the interest of the team’s front office. Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer appear content with waiting for the right deal to come about.

Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com cites sources who have told him that the Cubs might be preparing to get a little creative:

With all the Tanaka gridlock, top free-agent pitchers Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bronson Arroyo still remain unsigned. At this point, a major-league source said the Cubs are planning to hold onto Jeff Samardzija until closer to the July 31 trade deadline, hoping to change the supply-and-demand dynamics.

By changing the supply-and-demand dynamics, the Cubs would inherently create a need for teams in search of starting pitching in July. By holding out on trading Samardzija until then, they would also maximize his value—assuming he doesn’t tank in the first half of 2014.

This will, of course, be impacted by the Cubs’ pursuit of Tanaka. Samardzija told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he recognizes a correlation between himself and the team’s pursuit. “There’s a ripple effect,” he said.

Samardzija will be highly coveted until the Cubs decide what exactly do to with him.

Jason Castro

The Houston Astros don’t have a ton going for them after their first season in the American League West, but catcher Jason Castro is one of the best things the organization can offer its fans—and other teams.

Houston would be wise to deal Castro and get younger talent in return, although it would be hard to fault the team for keeping its up-and-coming catcher and building around him.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com cites both possibilities: “Rival teams have inquired on Castro, according to major league sources. If the Astros cannot sign him to an extension, he could become the team’s best trade chip. The ‘Stros also could move him to first base.”

The move to first base would be necessitated by the development of top catching prospect Max Stassi. If Stassi can come up and produce in the near future, the Astros would have significantly more options with their current backstop.

With catching so hard to come by, though, the best move would be to trade him. Playing at a premium position boosts Castro’s value, and Houston would be foolish to deny teams the opportunity to part with quality pitching prospects and possibly even major league talent.

Castro, a .276/.350/.485 hitter last season, is just reaching his potential. There’s still plenty of room for growth. Look for Houston to capitalize on that potential by flipping him for a nice return.

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For the Tampa Bay Rays, planning to trade star pitcher David Price isn’t so much a matter of whether the price is right but when the timing is.

At the end of the 2013 season, speculation started that the small-market Rays more than likely would be swapping their ace left-hander, primarily because of his escalating salary and imminent free agency following 2015.

Heck, even Price himself made it clear that he was expecting to be traded back in October, right after the Rays were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Red Sox in the division series, telling Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune, “If you go with what’s been done in the past I guess you’re going to have to think you’re going to get traded.”

But in recent weeks, the chatter has died down and with it the expectation that Price is on his way out. He even avoided the arbitration process by agreeing Thursday with Tampa on a salary of $14 million for next season, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.

As for the possibility he could be wearing another uniform sooner rather than later, Price told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:

I think if I’m in camp [with the Rays], I would be on the team, because that would stink if I would be a part of the team in spring training and everybody thinks I’d be there along with them and then I get traded a couple days into spring or something like that. … Probably Feb. 1 would be a time period that I think would kind of let me know that I would be here.

That, of course, doesn’t mean Price can’t—or won’t—be traded in the next two weeks or so.

The question, then, is when would the Rays get the most out of dealing the former Cy Young winner: Now, before the start of the season…or later, near the July trade deadline?

Why Now

Simply, more time translates to more production value, which should equal a greater return.

In other words, trading Price prior to the 2014 season means the Rays should be able to ask for more because the acquiring team will get him for up to two full seasons, rather than a season-and-a-half. That might not seem like a huge difference, but it is.

That’s especially true for a starting pitcher, who only goes to work maybe 32 or 33 times a year, so to speak. If Price were to be traded in mid- to late July—well past the actual midpoint of the 162-game schedule—he may only be able to impact up to 12 or 13 games.

It’s also especially true because Price may very well decide not to sign a long-term extension with a new squad, choosing instead to test the free-agent market, which is a mighty appealing place for what would be a 30-year-old southpaw with a rather impressive resume.

At this very moment, any team that considers (or fancies) itself a contender could be willing to give up a premium package of young, cost-controlled players/prospects for two full years of Price, whose total salary is likely to be about $30 million over that time—a reasonable cost for a front-of-the-rotation arm these days.

But if a few of those contender-hopeful clubs don’t perform up to expectations by midseason, they won’t see the point in trading for Price. The market could be much more limited, which wouldn’t be a good thing for Tampa.

Why Later

There are two main reasons why later could be better for the Rays to consider peddling Price.

The first is that, well, they themselves are contenders, so trading away their top pitcher—no matter how expensive he is to fit into their already maxed out budget—mere weeks before the start of a season that could lead to another October opportunity seems like competitive suicide.

The other? There’s still plenty of pitching available to be had. From free-agent starters like Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana and Matt Garza—not to mention, Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka—to trade targets like Jeff Samardzija and Homer Bailey, teams in need of pitching do have other options, should they so choose.

Beyond those, there’s also the fact that interested parties might want to see how Price pitches and whether he’s fully healthy over the first half of the season. Remember, he missed about six weeks last year due to an injury the Rays characterized as left triceps tendinitis.

Plus, the desperation factor can’t be overlooked. During the middle of the summer, as performance and injury become issues and pennant races just begin heating up, needs will arise, pressure will mount and the now-or-never aspect of the July 31 trade deadline will loom large.

The one problem with all of this, of course, is that the Rays might not realistically be able to trade Price that late in the year if they are contending for a playoff spot or the AL East title themselves. How could they?

The Price Is Right—Now

Ultimately, if Tampa is going to move Price, the extra three or four months of production and value he can add to a new team should be enough to help the Rays get more in return now compared to later, even considering the potential fracas that could come from desperate clubs at the trade deadline.

Right now, though, the bigger issue is that there just doesn’t seem to be much motivation for Tampa Bay to trade Price given the squad’s status entering 2014.

Plus, unlike trying to trade him in July when there’s an actual deadline that forces teams to get something done by a predetermined point in time—thus creating natural leverage—attempting to move Price now means it would be incumbent upon the Rays to create that kind of leverage themselves.

Certainly, this could be done by giving interested suitors a deadline of sorts and then allowing them to bid against each other for the right to get Price.

Maybe that’s been the Rays’ plan all along. Maybe they’ve just been waiting until Tanaka—the top target on the pitching market at the moment—is signed, sealed and delivered to a major league team by Jan. 24, the deadline for him to decide.

By then, even with the likes of Jimenez, Santana and Garza still out there for the paying, the Rays would be in a better position to bargain with the clubs fresh off losing out on the Japanese right-hander. After all, once the Tanaka domino falls, all the others will soon tip over, too.

The question, then, really isn’t whether the Rays would get more by trading Price now or at the deadline, but whether they want to trade him at all this year.

If they do, then the Price is right—now.

To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.

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Trade rumors may have died down and teams are gearing up for the start of spring training, which is approaching quickly. But that doesn’t mean that trade talks aren’t happening between teams. Things do tend to happen in baseball when you least expect it. 

Last offseason’s seven-player trade between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves involving Justin Upton, Martin Prado and Chris Johnson didn’t take place until January 24.

Jed Lowrie was traded from the Houston Astros to the Oakland A’s in a five-player deal on February 4.

John Jaso and Michael Morse were traded in less significant deals on January 16. Mike Carp and Conor Gillaspie were acquired by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox, respectively, during the second half of February.

Here are four players who have reportedly been on the trade block at one time or another this offseason and the logical landing spots for them in a deal. 

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The free-agent and trade markets have been quiet since the conclusion of December’s Winter Meetings. However, with the Jan. 24 deadline for a team to reach a deal with Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka edging closer every day, it’s only a matter of time until things pick back up.

The few starters who are still on the market—namely Ervin Santana and Matt Garza—are likely to receive more lucrative contracts once the winner of the Tanaka sweepstakes is announced, so they’re wisely holding out until then. And once those pieces fall into place, there will likely be more activity on the trade front as well.

With that said, it’s not surprising that there is a complete lack of reasonable prospect-based trade rumors at the moment. However, ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden proposed several interesting trade scenarios earlier this week in a pair of articles about the missing links for every American and National League team (subscription required).

So, in the absence of prospect rumors, I thought I’d breakdown a few of his suggested trades in the aforementioned articles in order to determine the short- and long-term impact of the moves.

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The Major League Baseball hot stove was sizzling in December but has since cooled off, leaving New York Mets fans stuck with the same rumors every day that may or may not pan out.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Mets were able to make big deals earlier this offseason by locking down players such as Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon. However, there are still rumors about what the Mets will do next. While the Mets have improved, they still need to make additional moves this offseason.

The rumors that have persisted through mid-January surround Stephen Drew and Ike Davis, as the team still needs to add a shortstop and fix their glut at first base.

Rumors always need to be taken with a grain of salt as they are often leaked by teams for negotiating purposes, and often deals come out of nowhere and take fans by surprise. Presented below is my take on the latest rumors surrounding Ike Davis and Stephen Drew as I try to see between the lines of the Mets’ negotiating strategy and make my predictions as to what will occur in both situations.

Stephen Drew Rumors

There have been plenty of rumors surrounding Stephen Drew this offseason, many of which have linked the shortstop to the Mets. I am selling the validity of most of these rumors and believe that Drew will return to the Boston Red Sox on a one- or two-year deal.

A number of Drew rumors have developed following the New Year, each one contradicting the previous one in some way. Peter Gammons noted following the New Year that a rival general manager of the Mets believes that New York is interested in Drew’s services. Also, Kevin Kernan of the New York Post stated that the Mets are interested in the shortstop but are unwilling to go beyond a two-year deal.

In Kernan’s article he states that he believed both New York teams were potential destinations for Drew, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman debunked those rumors, as evidenced in the below tweet by Peter Gammons.

With the Yankees out of the picture, it seems that the two most serious teams on Drew are the Mets and the Red Sox. Ken Rosenthal reported last week that neither club was willing to offer more than a one-year deal, but he felt that New York was the best fit.

To further complicate things, Scott Boras claimed, via Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, he has had active talks with five or six teams regarding Drew, a market that is hard to imagine for the shortstop. Of all the new Drew rumors that have come about this offseason, I am selling this one the most as it is a clear ploy to get the Mets or Red Sox in a bidding war against imaginary teams and offer more years. It is a significant rumor, however, as it indicates the importance Boras and Drew are placing on getting a long-term contract.

Drew is an imperfect player but would be a drastic improvement for the Mets over current shortstop Ruben Tejada. Since his contract demands have slipped since the offseason began, the Mets have been further tied to the shortstop, but unless they are willing to go to three years (something I doubt the team would consider) I believe he will not be a Met, as I wrote earlier this month.

Despite the fact that the Red Sox currently have a top prospect who plays shortstop in Xander Bogaerts, Boston would love to bring Drew back.

Bogaerts is capable of playing shortstop, but the Red Sox cannot rely on their young third baseman Will Middlebrooks. He has impressive power, but as a 24-year-old in 2013 hit just .227 and reached base at a .271 clip.

Boston manager John Farrell indicated the team’s stance on their infield situation earlier in the offseason, stating, via NESN,  “I’m hopeful [Drew] is back. It buys us some time, whether [Bogaerts] is the guy going forward next year at shortstop or if he’s at third base.”

Even if the Mets may be a better fit for Drew and end up offering a two-year deal to Boston’s one-year contract, Drew would most likely prefer to return to the defending World Series champions and try and test the free agent market next season and look for a longer offer rather than go to New York, a team that has been in flux over the past couple seasons.  

A two-year deal may be even more unappealing to Drew than a one-year deal, as he clearly wants a long-term contract and adding an extra year just makes him a year older and less valuable on the free-agent market.

Many Mets fans may see Drew as an inevitable member of the 2014 squad, but if general manager Sandy Alderson sticks to his patient negotiating tactics and refuses to compromise on the length of a contract, a return to Boston is much more likely in my opinion.

While a trade for someone such as Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings is unlikely as it would cost the team pitching assets (a topic I discussed in December), I believe that it would be a preferable option for the Mets.

Unfortunately for the Mets and their fans, despite the fact that I don’t buy the notion that the Mets are happy with Ruben Tejada as their starting shortstop, he will likely be the team’s Opening Day shortstop if they don’t offer Drew a three-year deal.

Ike Davis Rumors

Unlike the Stephen Drew rumors, which have been all over the place this offseason, it has been clear since early December that the Mets want to trade Lucas Duda or Ike Davis, with Andy Martino of the Daily News reporting that the team would prefer to deal Davis.

While fans have their preferences as to which of the first basemen they would like to keep, the Mets would be wise to trade one of the two and get some value in return. Having two first basemen unable to play any other position in the National League is pointless.

It is for this reason I am selling the rumors of the past week, that the team is no longer planning on dealing a first baseman.

This rumor was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Rubin, who wrote that the Mets expect Davis to be with the team in spring training.

One of the teams that the Mets have reportedly had discussions about Davis with is the Milwaukee Brewers. As recently as last week Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said the two teams were still in discussions about Davis but had yet to reach common ground, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Just two days later, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com Sandy Alderson said the team is no longer actively involved in trade discussions surrounding Davis.

While it is a possibility that both Ike Davis and Lucas Duda will be with the Mets in spring training, it will only be because Alderson was unable to find a worthy offer this offseason. He has reportedly been demanding solid pitching prospects while in negotiations with the Baltimore Orioles, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Brewers, as evidenced in the tweets below.

Nick Kingham, Eduardo Rodriguez and Tyler Thornburg would all be solid returns for Ike Davis, but as of now teams have been unwilling to part with players of this caliber because of Davis’ poor 2013 performance.

I am selling the fact that the team would like to have Davis back in camp, as these latest statements by Alderson are clearly negotiating tactics as he attempts to net a solid return for the left-handed slugger. All the teams he is negotiating with are in need of a first baseman, and Sandy believes if he is patient that another team will jump on Davis’ power potential.

In the end, I believe a trade involving Davis will occur prior to or during the early days of spring training, likely with the Brewers. Davis is a perfect fit in Milwaukee so I believe they are the likeliest to relinquish a pitching prospect in the deal—potentially Tyler Thornburg.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

You can follow Sean on Twitter at @S_CunninghamBR.

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The MLB trade rumors market will start to pick back up in a hurry, now that the holidays and winter meetings period has passed.

For the most part, it has been a quiet trade market this offseason, but one can bet things will heat up once the remainder of the top free agents find a new home.

Whether it is a contender looking to add one more piece or a rebuilding team looking to make a splash, there are plenty of ideas being tossed around at this point in time.

Here is the latest.

Will Brett Gardner Be Moved? 

It only makes sense that the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman continue to see Brett Gardner’s name tossed around in rumors after an offseason that saw them nab Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.

For those counting, that means the Yankees have six quality outfielders. For those in the know, the only one of the bunch who may bring back a large return via trade is Gardner.

As the MLB’s Twitter reported during the winter meetings, Cashman and Co. made it known they would not trade Gardner:

But Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reports that plenty of teams are lining up to trade for the outfielder, and Cashman may do so if he gets starting pitching in return:

Since the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, at least a half-dozen teams—from the Phillies to the Tigers—have taken a run at Brett Gardner, knowing he’s a free agent at the end of next season. But Brian Cashman won’t move him until and unless he has to for starting pitching.

Gardner did hit .273 with eight home runs, 52 RBI, 81 runs and 24 stolen bases a year ago, but he is set to hit free agency after next season.

All of the cash the Yankees spent this offseason will mean little if the starting pitching prevents them from making noise in the postseason. New York is clearly not keen on moving Gardner, but at some point a surplus has to help upgrade another position—especially if a World Series may hang in the balance.

Keep a close eye on Gardner.

Ike Davis is Not Guaranteed to Remain in New York

What an awkward offseason it has been for Ike Davis.

Davis has drawn interest from more than a few teams and the New York Mets were reportedly likely to move him at one point, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Things have cooled since then, and Davis told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he wants to remain with the Mets:

I have wanted to stay. I don’t want to leave on this kind of note. I have roots here, with the only team I have ever known. It’s something that a player dreams about, staying with the only team you have ever known. I don’t want to say disrespected, but it has probably been talked about more than it should have been. Unless something is actually about to happen, I don’t think it should be publicly talked about.

Well, something may not be about to happen right away, but the Mets have certainly left the door open for a trade, per Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com:

Mets insiders now expect Ike Davis will be in spring training with the team in Port St. Lucie, Fla.—while cautioning they are willing to reengage the Pittsburgh Pirates or Milwaukee Brewers or any other club in search of a first baseman in trade talks in the six weeks before pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 15. 

The Mets asking price is reportedly high, which makes sense because the team desperately needs pitching. It is obviously a tough bargain because Davis’ best season was way back in 2010.

It’s no secret the Mets do not have an issue letting Davis go. It just has to be for the right price.

Homer Bailey Continues to be a Name to Watch

Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty remains adamant that the team is looking to extend starting pitcher Homer Bailey, not trade him.

Reality will have to sink in at some point. The Reds are in the red in terms of cash flow and an extension for Bailey, who is just 27 years old and coming off his best year as a pro, with 199 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA in 209 innings, is simply going to cost too much.

Go ahead and add in the fact there is plenty of interest from other teams, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

The Reds have been very quiet this offseason, but Bailey’s name has come up quite often as possible trade bait. In fact, the Reds could possibly bring back Arroyo if they can deal Bailey.

Bailey is set to hit free agency in his prime, has a no-hitter in each of his last two seasons and teams like the Yankees will obviously come in and scoop him up off the market. The Reds may be better off getting something in return right now.

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