Winter meetings moves for all 30 teams
Every big league organization will be at the winter meetings in Las Vegas through the middle of Thursday, and proximity breeds transactions. The end of the meetings provides an artificial deadline. There isn't a team in baseball that doesn't have a list of things to do. This week, items on the to-do list tend to get done.
Most significantly, there are trades to be made and free agents to be signed. I've come up with a move for each team that I think could realistically be made in the coming days. A note, before you proceed: I haven't put Bryce Harper anywhere. This is the only paragraph in which Harper is mentioned, because even though he's clearly going to sign somewhere, I can't for the life of me imagine that's coming soon. Scott Boras has been preparing for this free agency for years, and he's going to take his time, as is his wont. And I'm not finding new homes for every single top player available. I've just looked for realistic moves for each team.
That's enough of that. Now for the fun part.
American League
Baltimore Orioles: Trade for Shed Long and Cody Reed. This is a move for a couple of young Reds. There isn't that much more for the Orioles to do in their teardown process, since they're almost entirely torn down already, and they'd be losing a talented starting pitcher in Dylan Bundy, but they'd be gaining an intriguing young starting pitcher and a good second-base prospect. The Orioles are in no position to be picky; they need talent, but these are two players who could help for several years.
Boston Red Sox: Trade for Francisco Cervelli. You can't complain too much about the Christian Vazquez/ Sandy Leon tandem, since the Red Sox just won the World Series. But the catcher position was still a vulnerability, and Cervelli would provide something the Sox didn't have. He's available because he has one year left under contract, but he just changed his swing and tapped into hidden power. He has rated as a quality defender in the past. He'd make the Red Sox's lineup even deeper.
Chicago White Sox: Sign Manny Machado. It feels weird to have this in the same-sized font as everything else. This would be an enormous, franchise-changing splash. I can't promise anyone that Machado would even want to play for the White Sox, but they have the money, they have the need and they're beginning to emerge from their rebuilding phase. They could throw a big contract at Machado and sell him on the future, and with the Indians taking a modest step back, there could even be a long-shot opportunity to make some noise in 2019. I expect that Machado will make a decision long before this winter's other big free agent does. Perhaps that decision will come very soon.
Cleveland Indians: Trade for Alex Verdugo, Will Smith and a third piece to be determined. This is the price the Dodgers would be paying to get Corey Kluber (see below): a young outfielder who is major league ready, a top catching prospect who is not far away and then another, longer-shot prospect. Verdugo would slot into the Tribe's lineup immediately, and Smith might be ready by the second half. The Indians would be getting worse in the short term, but they'd be dramatically improving their organizational reserves of talented youth -- what teams like Cleveland frequently have to try to do.
Detroit Tigers: Trade for Wander Suero. This is in exchange for trading Shane Greene to the Nationals. I know it's not going to wow anybody, but they can't all be blockbusters. The idea here is that Suero is a strikeout-an-inning reliever with a full six years of team control. He doesn't have Greene's closing experience, but he works primarily off of a good cutter, and he could occupy a spot in the Tigers' bullpen for several years. Greene is a free agent after 2020; Suero could conceivably close before long.
Houston Astros: Trade for J.T. Realmuto. It sounds so easy, right? I know the Astros just signed Robinson Chirinos, but Realmuto is baseball's best catcher, and Chirinos could be his backup. No matter what the Marlins say, Realmuto is obvious trade bait, and the Astros have a need behind the plate, one of the few areas where they could be vulnerable. The Astros have the talent to make the deal, and they remain as good a fit as anyone.
Kansas City Royals: Sign Zach Britton. I could list for you the members of the Royals' present projected bullpen, but that would just bum you out. There's an obvious opportunity for someone to come in and close, and while it's not as if any reliever could make the 2019 Royals competitive, Britton would fill a void, and -- more importantly -- he could turn himself into an intriguing midseason trade candidate again with another bounce-back performance. There are only so many closing opportunities available. This one is wide-open, which could get Britton's attention.
Los Angeles Angels: Sign Daniel Murphy. Murphy is defensively compromised at this point, and the Angels have a better athlete in David Fletcher. But Murphy, being left-handed, could serve as the bigger part of a second-base platoon, and then he could spend the rest of his time at first, covering for Albert Pujols. Murphy's best days are behind him, but there's life in his bat, and the Angels want to hang around the fringes of contention while Mike Trout is under contract.
Minnesota Twins: Trade for Carlos Santana. Santana was recently treated as a salary dump, but he remains a productive bat and a useful part of a contending ballclub. The Twins are hoping to be somewhere on the fringes of the AL Central race, so they could call up the Mariners and help them shed further millions. The Twins could take on the contract, offsetting Addison Reed for 2019, and Santana would provide greater certainty than C.J. Cron, whose plate discipline remains very much a legitimate issue.
New York Yankees: Trade for Zack Greinke. Greinke is due more than $100 million over the next three years, and he has the Yankees on his partial no-trade list. For all I know, Greinke being willing to go to New York is a complete nonstarter. But Greinke can see what's happening around him in Arizona, and he might want a shot to win his first World Series. Because of Greinke's cost, it wouldn't require a massive prospect haul, and the Yankees are still in the market for starting pitching. It makes enough sense to me, and there's trust around the game that Greinke is going to age gracefully, because of his command and intellect.
Oakland Athletics: Re-sign Jonathan Lucroy. They can't all be exciting. On my initial list, for the A's, I had "sign Wilson Ramos," but from reports, it sounds like they want Lucroy back for one season. It makes enough sense, and Lucroy didn't do enough in 2018 to earn that much leverage. The A's, though, loved what Lucroy did for their pitching staff. Why change it up if you don't have to? It's not like the A's could afford that much more.
Seattle Mariners: Trade for C.J. Cron and Addison Reed. This probably reads as a strange one, but from the Twins' comment, this is the other part of a pseudo-salary exchange, where the Mariners lose Carlos Santana. Cron would slide in to fill the spot Santana currently occupies, and Reed is a partial salary offset but also a veteran reliever the Mariners need. Of course, if Reed were to pitch well, he could then be flipped midseason, as a guy who has closed before.
Tampa Bay Rays: Trade for Jose Martinez. As soon as the Cardinals acquired Paul Goldschmidt, I figured the Rays made the most sense for Martinez. He doesn't fit on the Cardinals as an every-day outfielder, but the Rays have an opening at 1B/DH for a quality right-handed thumper. Martinez has a career .850 OPS, and he's also under club control through 2022. Because he's 30, he's not exactly young, but the Rays could jump on him, just as they recently jumped on Tommy Pham.
Texas Rangers: Trade for Kolby Allard and Luiz Gohara. While Jose Leclerc is very good, relievers are volatile, and the rebuilding Rangers don't need a closer. They do need talented young starting pitching; Allard is a 21-year-old prospect, and Gohara is a 22-year-old lefty with a mid-90s fastball. Gohara didn't have a great 2018, but his upside is undeniable, and Allard is just about ready for regular major league action. Right now, the Rangers' rotation depth chart is thin, but it doesn't have to stay that way.
Toronto Blue Jays: Trade for Tyler Chatwood. I recognize this sounds absurd, because Chatwood is coming off one of the highest walk rates in recent history. But you should scroll down to the Cubs section to see the other half of this. I'm proposing a salary swap, where the Blue Jays trade from excess and take a chance on a pitcher who still has interesting stuff and a big arm. Maybe Chatwood just can't cut it in the rotation, but the Blue Jays could try him out in relief down the line. There's still potential here, 2018 be damned.
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks: Trade for Greg Bird, Sonny Gray and a third piece to be determined. The biggest name in this move, Greinke, would be going to the Yankees, but the Diamondbacks are now without an obvious first baseman, and they could take a chance on Bird, who can still hit when he's well. Gray would be just a short-term plug-in, but if he were to rebound, the Diamondbacks could then trade him in July. The third piece here would be some lower-level prospect.
Atlanta Braves: Trade for Jose Leclerc. The Braves could close with A.J. Minter, or they could close with Arodys Vizcaino, but if they added Leclerc they'd meaningfully beef up the back of the bullpen, bringing in a cost-controlled power arm coming off a breakout campaign. This past season, Leclerc was one of the game's top relievers, even if few noticed. He wouldn't come cheap, but the Rangers don't currently have much use for a great closer.
Chicago Cubs: Trade for Russell Martin. This is the other half of the Chatwood trade. Martin is due $20 million. Chatwood is due another $25.5 million. Chatwood no longer serves a purpose on the Cubs, just as Martin no longer serves a meaningful purpose on the Blue Jays. But the Cubs are in the market for veteran catching help, and they're reportedly looking for someone who could occupy a leadership role. Martin could be that guy as the catcher behind Willson Contreras. While his skills are diminished, he's still a capable semi-regular.
Cincinnati Reds: Trade for Dylan Bundy. The Reds keep making noise about swinging big pitching moves, indicating they want to start pushing forward. Although Bundy is coming off posting an ERA in the mid-5s and coughed up an incredible 41 homers, he's also controlled for three more years, and the 26-year-old did manage to strike out a quarter of the batters he faced. Bundy has undeniable swing-and-miss stuff, and he might just need a change of scenery. Cincinnati isn't the most pitcher-friendly environment around, but from a player perspective right now, anywhere is better than Baltimore.
Colorado Rockies: Sign Yasmani Grandal. If the Rockies intend to keep up with the Dodgers, they could really stand to move forward behind the plate. There's an opportunity here to take advantage of what might be a depressed market for Grandal after his struggles in the playoffs. Grandal was the target of endless mockery, but he has been an above-average hitter his entire career, and he's consistently rated as one of the game's best receivers. Grandal might have become one of the more underrated players in the game, and he'd instantly make the Rockies several wins better.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Trade for Corey Kluber. Here's a blockbuster. The Dodgers don't need a better rotation, but there's no harm in building one, and they have the resources to make this happen, given that the Indians are looking to make a move, and given that the Indians have certain organizational needs. Do I need to explain what Kluber would be able to provide? Probably not. And because he's under contract for three more seasons, it's not like the Dodgers would be giving up too much of the future for a stopgap.
Miami Marlins: Trade for Kyle Tucker, Max Stassi and a third piece to be determined. The Marlins aren't excited about the idea of trading Realmuto, baseball's best catcher, but at least they know if they do it, they'll get a decent haul in return. Here, Stassi is a young catcher who's gifted defensively, and the Marlins could plug him in right away. More importantly, Tucker is one of the very best outfield prospects around, and could blossom into being a long-term fix for the Marlins. The third piece would be a lower-level prospect, although such a prospect would also be notable in this case.
Milwaukee Brewers: Sign Marwin Gonzalez. As a free agent, Gonzalez won't be hurting for opportunities, but Milwaukee is a great fit provided he falls within the Brewers' price range. Having dropped Jonathan Schoop, the Brewers could use coverage at second base until the arrival of prospect Keston Hiura. And Orlando Arcia at shortstop is a potential vulnerability if he never learns to hit. Gonzalez's versatility is his greatest tool, and the competitive Brewers could put him to proper use.
New York Mets: Trade for Manny Margot. One thing the Mets did when they traded for Robinson Cano was put someone in the way of Jeff McNeil, and they need a regular center fielder who brings more to the table than Juan Lagares. Hence this swap, where the Mets lose an interesting infielder but gain a young center fielder with offensive upside and legitimate defense. Yeah, A.J. Pollock is one direction the Mets could go, but Margot could be a part of their core, occupying a position where they don't have an answer.
Philadelphia Phillies: Sign A.J. Pollock. By trading Carlos Santana, the Phillies reopened first base for Rhys Hoskins. And by moving Hoskins out of left field, a spot on the grass has opened up. In theory, sure, the Phillies could go with Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Odubel Herrera, but that doesn't sound like the outfield trio of a winner. Enter Pollock, who would make this group meaningfully better. I'm not sure what else there is to explain.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Trade for Blake Swihart. Swihart is a former top prospect, but the past few years have not gone well. He has underperformed, and Boston just doesn't seem like the place for him to thrive. But he's still just 26 and under club control for four more years. The Pirates could allow him to catch with greater frequency, and teams like this are always thinking about how they can accumulate more years of control. That's what's behind this idea.
St. Louis Cardinals: Trade for Diego Castillo and a second piece to be determined. This might feel a little weird, but that's because I've dreamed this up as a Rays trade, in which the Cardinals would be involved. Having acquired Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals have pushed Jose Martinez into a bad positional fit. I figure he could be swapped for high-leverage, long-term bullpen help. Castillo throws as hard as almost anyone, and he could immediately enter the closer mix. The second piece here would be some lower-level prospect.
San Diego Padres: Trade for Jeff McNeil. With Franchy Cordero healthy again, the Padres have a surplus in center field. What they could really use, meanwhile, is an answer at third base. Maybe this wouldn't quite work as a one-for-one for Margot, but McNeil has played plenty of third in the minors, and he obviously made a strong first big league impression. Even though McNeil has followed an atypical trajectory to The Show, it's hard to say no to his contact skills.
San Francisco Giants: Sign Michael Brantley. I don't know if the Giants are ready to commence a rebuild under new leadership. They could get there soon, or they could get there in July. Meanwhile the Giants occupy a space somewhere in the middle, and there's a big, gaping void in the corner outfield. Brantley fits as a high-contact, quality hitter, and for the Giants, money is hardly an obstacle. Even if the Giants proceed to tear down, it's still worth investing in keeping the roster respectable. Brantley is just a solid all-around hitter.
Washington Nationals: Trade for Shane Greene. Greene isn't coming off a very good season, but neither is Kyle Barraclough, and the Nationals already traded for him. By signing Patrick Corbin, the Nationals made their splash. At this point, they're mostly put together, pending whatever might eventually happen with Bryce Harper. The bullpen remains a potential vulnerability, and Greene has a big arm and some closing experience. I think the Nationals would like his potential.