Early Season Trade Targets and Some Potential Suitors
The season is just getting underway, but contending teams already have needs, and it wont be long before the rumor mill is heating up.
We’re two weeks into the MLB season, so obviously, it’s time to find potential trade targets for teams that could look to be contending toward the end of this season.
The beginning of this year has been electric.
From the Rays making a mockery of professional organizations to the struggles of teams like the Cardinals, Phillies, and Mariners, no matter which side of the coin you find yourself on, one thing is for sure: we are definitely in for an incredible baseball season.
In this article, I am going to highlight some players that currently find themselves on middling teams and what contender they would seemingly fill a void for. Initially, I had included players like Adam Duvall, Germán Márquez, and Joey Wendle but had to remove them after the injuries they recently sustained.
Chris Sale to the St. Louis Cardinals
Why He Could Get Traded:
The current Chris Sale is not the same Chris Sale that dominated the 2018 World Series for the Boston Red Sox.
Through a slew of injuries, Sale just hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and the Red Sox are not in the same situation they found themselves in when they traded for, then extended, Sale to be the headliner of their starting rotation. It is probably time to capitalize on Sale being back on the mound and move him to a team looking to contend now.
The Fit:
The Cardinals have been searching for starting pitching for what seems like forever. They consistently find themselves in the rumor mill for starters, but GM John Mozeliak doesn’t pull the trigger as often as Cardinal fans would like. He made the move for Jordan Montgomery last trade deadline, but they still find themselves short-handed.
Sale is under control until next season, with a club option for 2025 that is valued at a $27.5M base salary. While the financial cost isn’t cheap, the price to acquire him could be, especially if they are willing to eat some of the money owed to him.
With a farm system as strong as the Cardinals’, they find themselves in a strong position to make a trade and finally add another established starting pitcher to their rotation.
Aroldis Chapman to the Arizona Diamondbacks
Why He Could Get Traded:
The story of Aroldis Chapman has been a mystery for a few years now. After falling out of favor with the Yankees, the former All-Star closer found himself netting a one-year deal with the Royals right in the nick of time.
Kansas City took a flier on Chapman with hopes he would show flashes of his old self and they would get the opportunity to flip his rental contract for an asset(s) at the trade deadline. So far, Chapman looks to have some gas left in the tank.
The Fit:
Arizona looks to be clicking a little sooner than most, maybe even they themselves, considered.
They made some moves this offseason, such as flipping Daulton Varsho for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno, one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. They even signed veterans like Evan Longoria and Andrew Chafin to help groom some of their young guys. Now, just a couple of weeks into the season, they find themselves in first place in the NL West and do not look to be slowing down anytime soon.
Their one weakness? The back end of their bullpen.
Enter Chapman.
On a one-year deal, there is a little-to-no risk in bringing in Chapman to see what he can do for you. With what we have seen from Chapman so far this season, he could be the lockdown option for the D-backs to call upon at the end of games to shut the door.
Mason Thompson to the San Diego Padres
Why He Could Get Traded:
It’s no secret that the Nationals are rebuilding. As we continue through the year, we will continue to get more clarity about which players they will be shipping away. As of now, Mason Thompson looks to be the gem of their deadline.
Through 8.2 innings this year, he is striking out 23.3% of hitters and generating a 45.5% GB%. At 25 years old, he is looking to be a coveted piece as we near the deadline, and we all know how important it is for contending teams to shore up the back end of their bullpen for the stretch run.
The Fit:
The Padres starting lineup is loaded and is only going to get more explosive with the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. The signings of Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha have helped to bolster the rotation.
The issues in San Diego derive from the bullpen.
They made the big move for Josh Hader last year and signed Robert Suarez to a big deal in the offseason after his great 2022. Hader has been fine for the Padres, but the guys leading up to him have been everything but.
As this team awaits the return of Suarez, Thompson could give them much-needed ammunition to deploy in the late innings to help bridge the gap from starter to closer.
Chris Martin to the Chicago Cubs
Why He Could Get Traded:
Much like what I wrote about Chris Sale, this Chris was likely signed with different intentions when the Red Sox brought him in this offseason.
Even though he was signed to a two-year deal, there’s still the chance that Chaim Bloom decides to get out of the contract now, knowing he still has Kenley signed through next season as well. He could move the 37-year-old reliever to a team wanting to lock down their bullpen.
The Fit:
Welcome back to Chicago, Chris!
I have made this reference quite a bit, but the fun differential on the North Side of Chicago is through the roof.
This team is producing at a high level every day they take the field. The offense is fluid, the starting rotation has been solid thus far, and while the bullpen has not been terrible, they still need another reliable option if they do plan on returning to the postseason this year.
Bringing in someone they’re familiar with and who has shown to be successful in the same role for them as recently as last season would only benefit this young team looking to solidify themselves in the NL Central race.
Dylan Floro to the Houston Astros
Why He Could Get Traded:
Floro’s name has been mentioned in trades quite a few times over the past couple of years. While he is still a late-inning option in Miami, it’s more likely than not that the Marlins won’t be competing for a playoff spot in such a deep NL race this season.
The Marlins also made the move to bring in A.J. Puk right before the start of the year and have used him in the closer’s role so far this season. If their plan is to make Puk their closer, that would make Dylan Floro expendable.
The Fit:
Heading into this season, it was almost impossible to find a weakness on this Astros team. However, as we have progressed so far, the bullpen has been everything but reliable for them so far.
They do still have the same guys that led them to a World Series title last season, but they have not been producing the same — especially Ryan Pressly, who has been very shaky in his appearances.
Dylan Floro would be a big-time addition to the back end of their bullpen. His ability to generate ground balls at the high level that he does should play well with the Gold Glove-caliber defenders behind him in Houston’s infield.
C.J. Cron to the Philadelphia Phillies
Why He Could Get Traded:
Cron is another player who has seemed to be on the trading block ever since he signed his initial contract with the Rockies. Why? Well, we’re all still trying to figure out what the Colorado Rockies are trying to do.
Not only is the National League loaded with a lot of playoff-capable teams, but the NL West specifically looks to have three teams contending on its own. With the Rockies looking to play .500 ball, as acknowledged by owner Dick Monfort himself, they will likely entertain the chance to move on from Cron this year.
The Fit:
This seemed like the perfect fit as soon as the Phillies lost Rhys Hoskins at the end of spring training to a season-ending injury.
While issues continue to arise from the bullpen, securing this spot in the lineup could pay huge dividends for a team looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the National League.
A trade for Cron would provide them with even more thump in their lineup, significantly reducing the need to rely on the bullpen to hold close leads late in games.
Tyler Rogers to the Seattle Mariners
Why He Could Get Traded:
Tyler Rogers has been a staple in the Giants’ bullpen for some time now. While he does not fit the mold for the new-age, hard-throwing reliever, he finds a way with his funky delivery to continue to get outs when the teams call on him.
While he has been so reliable for them for the past three seasons, his unique pitching style could net them a bigger return than they anticipate.
The Fit:
The Seattle bullpen has been referred to as a gas factory, with all the arms that continue to stroll out of it during games.
Now, with the injury sustained by Andrés Muñoz and there not being a clear timetable for his return, Rogers would serve as the perfect change-of-pace arm to come out of the bullpen. His contrasting pitching style could be the exact thing the Mariners need to shore up a bullpen that has not produced the way they anticipated at the beginning of the season.
Jorge Soler to the Atlanta Braves
Why He Could Get Traded:
The Jorge Soler signing in Miami was a weird fit from the beginning. It did not seem as if his play style matched what the Marlins should have ideally looked to do last offseason. Now, this could be their chance to right one of their wrongs.
Soler’s profile was the exact thing that Alex Anthopolus needed when he acquired him for Atlanta’s World Series run.
It might be time to bring an old friend back.
The Fit:
Let’s face it, the Marcell Ozuna experiment in Atlanta needs to come to an end.
The platoon situation with him and Eddie Rosario has not been working the way they thought it would. I don’t know how they would be able to move on from the remaining money on Ozuna’s deal, but I would not put it past AA to be able to figure something out.
I’ll admit, Adam Duvall was my initial choice to return to Atlanta, but with his recent injury, I thought that bringing the Soler-power back to the A would be the next best thing. Familiarity and comfortability are huge factors in producing success. Inserting Soler into the LF/DH role for this already elite offense would round it out and provide them with the depth needed to contend for another World Series title.
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