The 'sellers' group hasn't grown over the last week, but here are a few clubs that could buy AND sell, plus some salary-driven targets on contending teams.
First, if you’re looking for a list of potential targets on clubs almost certain to sell this summer, go here. But we could see some clubs use a bit of a covered straddle approach, baseball-style.
All that really means is the club could add to its roster by way of trade, and trade away a big-league asset, perhaps within the same deal, or as a separate move.
Why would a team do that? Sometimes it’s about salary — and we’ll talk about pure salary ditches in a bit — but sometimes it’s the best way for a club to acquire the player it’s looking to add, either for a lack of prospect capital, or the desire to hang onto it.
There also are scenarios where clubs have players headed for free agency and would like to get value rather than going the QO/draft-pick compensation route.
And then there are rosters that simply need re-filtering in order for the piece to fit better. Think: Red Sox, Boston, 2004, when they traded Nomar Garciaparra in a three-way deal that landed the eventual World Series champs Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz. Boston, essentially, swapped offense for defense, and added some balance with the lefty stick in Mientkiewicz.
Philadelphia Phillies
1B Rhys Hoskins — He’s a free agent after next season, but is a square peg in the round hole that is the outfield, so he belongs at first base, which means Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos can merely split DH time. Ideally, the pair can be the 1B/DH combo regularly and the club finds a better fit defensively in a corner-outfield spot. Trading Hoskins would help fix that.
RHS Kyle Gibson & RHS Zach Eflin — both are quality arms that fit somewhere near the middle of a solid rotation — Eflin closer to the top than Gibson — but both are set to hit free agency this winter and the Phillies, who will be without Byrce Harper for an extended period, may find themselves in a position where looking to 2023 makes a lot of sense. But they can move the final two months of control of Eflin or Gibson for a piece they can use in ‘22 and beyond, such as a bullpen piece controlled through at least 2023.
The Phillies’ relief corps is fine, but they allow an awful lot of baserunners via walk and appear at least one high-leverage arm short.San Diego Padres
1B Eric Hosmer & OF Wil Myers — both are owed a lot of money and the Padres are believed to be interested in shedding some payroll so they can add to it this summer. This would be the simplest way to accomplish the first step in that process. The tough part is, neither player has performed well, so finding a taker that’s willing to take on any significant enough part of their remaining contract.
Hosmer is owed $49 million guaranteed between now and the end of 2025 when his deal expires. Myers has $30 million left through next season. It’s also worth noting Myers has missed most of this season with a knee injury and has no timetable to return, and Hosmer, after a hot start (.389/.457/.597 in April) has been far less than an everyday hitter.RHS Yu Darvish — Darvish is the other big-ticket item that would open a lot of payroll space, at least theoretically, if trade away. He’s 35 and owed $29 million through next season. But he’s also been very good in the club’s rotation and despite depth is a key piece to the puzzle. Perhaps the emergence of MacKenzie Gore and the return of Mike Clevinger abd Blake Snell from injury (added to Joe Musgrove, Sean Manaea) lend confidence the club can deal Darvish.
3B/SS Ha-Seong Kim — Kim, owed $20 million total through 2024, isn’t going to be easy to move since he hasn’t hit much at all since signing with the Padres before last season. But other than lefty Drew Pomeranz ($15 million due between now and the end of 2023), there isn’t much else to move that pries open a sizable chunk of payroll and doesn’t create a roster hole at the same time.
Miami Marlins
1B Garrett Cooper — Cooper is a performing bat without a penny owed him beyond 2022 and if the Marlins can acquire a piece that fills a need in their bullpen for the next year or two, it may be worth putting him on the block. He’s 31 and controlled through 2023 at a reasonable price, so this isn’t about dollars, but once prospects JJ Bleday and Peyton Burdick force their way into the majors, the Marlins may need space in the OF or at first base, and moving Cooper for value during a year they aren’t going to truly contend in order to maximize the return is probably the best approach.
RHS Pablo Lopez — The Fish have an abundance of young pitching if there even is such a thing, and if they were going to move any of them in the next year Lopez, prior to the start of next season, is the most likely to go, in my opinion.
He’s 2.5 years from free agency and during a healthy 2022 so far has been very good, sans his most recent outing. I think this is more of a winter consideration for GM Kim Ng due to some rotation injuries and the chance more clubs get involved in December than this summer, but prospects Max Meyer, Eury Perez, and Sixto Sanchez are within a year of the majors, and Jake Elder and Dax Fulton are probably within two.
Lopez could help Ng find a long-term, impact answer at third base, or up the middle, and additional pieces that help them sooner than later.2B Joey Wendle — He’s controlled through 2023, but if his trade value is high enough to net a 3-year bullpen piece or a combo of younger talent Ng likes that may help offer an extended window, Wendle is probably on the table. The fact there aren’t many second base options right now increases Wendle’s value overall, especially now tha he’s off the IL and playing again.
Arizona Diamondbacks
RHS Zac Gallen — They re-upped with Merrill Kelly, who is more of a mid-rotation talent, though a good one, but Gallen’s injury history may suggest he’s more likely to get moved during a healthy stretch, which he’s in the middle of as you read this.
Arizona needs pitching, but they need healthy, reliable pitching, and acquiring depth on the mound should be Job 1 for a club that hasn’t finished in the top half of the league in any runs allowed metric since 2019, and haven’t been top 10 since 2017.LHS Madison Bumgarner — The former postseason star is owed $48.5 million through 2024 and hasnt been remotely good since he left the Bay, despite what a 3.63 ERA might suggest for this season (4.74 xFIP, 4.71 FIP, sinking velo and K rates, rising walk rates). Good luck, Arizona.
Seattle Mariners
RHR Ken Giles — The Mariners are trying to hang onto contention which may very well eliminate any chance Giles is open for discussion, but if the Mariners fade out prior to the deadline, the former Phillies, Astros, amd Blue Jays closer could command some attention, and Seattle, in that scenario, will listen.
He’s a free agent after the season, and while re-signing with Seattle is plausible, the club may be aggressive turning rentals into future assets.1B/DH Carlos Santana — This also means Santana, if he hits enough to garner interest. He was good in June, but is just 3-for-19 since the trade without an extra-base hit.
OF Mitch Haniger — This scenario is highly unlikely, but Haniger, potentially, is a prime trade target for contenders should Seattle find themselves obviously out of the race by the deadline. He’ll hit free agency after the season and extension talks have gone nowhere. But — yes, there’s a large but here — Haniger’s injury has done two things that impact his future. First, it has made it clear how ciritical his bat and presence is for a young team. Second, it’s reduced Haniger’s price beyond 2022, at least to some extent, which may mean a more palatable extension cost for PoBOps Jerry Dipoto.
A healthy Haniger is worth $25-plus million a year, but unless it’s on a 1-2 year deal, it’s hard to buy any club going down that road. And if it’s a short extension, Seattle is as good a place to bet on as any to get Haniger’s name on the dotted line.
Of course, Dipoto may have other ideas about the middle of the order, but considering how difficult it is to get free agents to sign in Seattle, and the weak 2022-23 free agent class, Haniger, at two years and a sub-$30 million AAV, should be a lot higher on the Mariners’ list than it was prior to the start of the season, and such a deal is more realistic from the player side now.RHS Chris Flexen — He’s just a back-end starter, but he’s a solid one and I still feel like there’s more in the tank than we’ve seen (please find a way to use his high-spin curveball, mmmkay?).
His $4 million 2023 option is going to flip into an $8 million (or higher) guarantee once he hits the 120.1 inning mark this season, per his contract stipulation, which clouds his trade value, but I do not believe the club can win the American League West with both Flexen and Marco Gonzales making 30 starts a year.
The return on a trade isn’t going to be high, unless he’s one of multiple pieces heading out, but including the right-hander might be a way Seattle avoids adding extra prospects in a trade package.Chicago White Sox
RHS Lance Lynn — I don’t think the Sox will force Jose Abreu out of town, though it is his walk year and he could help a team in contention. That club still could be Chicago, but if they continue to fall all bets are off. Lynn on the other hand, just returned from a knee injury, but is reestablishing himself as at least a No. 3, and one with a contract through 2023 and a ‘24 option at a reasonable price.
He’s 35, but hasn’t had severe arm injuries; a club looking to take a step with their rotation should make the call, and the White Sox should pick up and try and fill some holes in their depth, while eyeing free agent starters over the winter. Again, the position-player market is shallow this winter.RHR Liam Hendriks — if the Sox are truly out of it at the deadline, shopping one of the game’s best relievers would be wise. His contract is controlled through 2023 with a 2024 option, and the stuff is still very good.
Texas Rangers
LHS Martin Perez — Even if the Rangers stay in the race, Texas should field calls for Perez, who is due to hit free agency and his value is never going to be higher. The lefty’s relationship with the club and the region is strong enough for GM Chris Young to move Perez for future help, then re-sign Perez in the offseason. Do it.
RHR Matt Bush — Bush has a few years of control left but Texas could (and should) take advantage of his potential value this summer while he’s throwing a lot of strikes (6% BB) and missing bats better than ever.
Cleveland GuardiansRHS Shane Bieber — This could simply be a sell move, but I think Bieber’s value is so high the Guardians could net a quality, young major leaguer, plus prospects, in a trade this summer, a scenario they should consider even if they appear to be legit Wild Card contenders at the deadline.
What might that look like, you ask? For example, Bieber, who isn’t a free agent until after the 2024 season, conceivably could fetch a deal including RHS Ian Anderson and LHS prospect Jared Schuster from Atlanta, or RHS prospect Bobby Miller and/or C prospect Diego Cartaya in a package from the Dodgers, giving Cleveland another building block, or two, in their rotation, or helping answer a question at another position.
Those two deals aren’t the same, obviously. One is more of a pure sell move, looking ahead to 2023, and the other maintains some present competitive approach. It’s unlikely the Guardians go down this road, but the possibility is there.Tampa Bay Rays
2B/3B Brandon Lowe — The Rays are contending now and should all year, so I don’t see any sell moves coming, but this is the most open-minded front office in baseball that has traded proven players in the middle of the season before, such as C Wilson Ramos, RHS Chris Archer, RHS Nathan Eovaldi, RHS Alex Cobb, LHS David Price, and numerous relievers.
Lowe, 27, has a Rays-style contract keeping him very inexpensive through 2024 with two club options, so they’re only moving him for the return package. But like with Wendle, another former Rays infielder, Lowe plays a position of dearth and could fetch a pretty penny.Vidal Brujan, 2B — The 24-year-old has yet to hit in just under 200 PAs in the majors, but has tools to play everyday, led by speed, average power, defensive versatility and a hit tool most still believe in long-term. He’s also a switch hitter, and if the Rays aren’t moving Lowe anytime soon, Brujan may have more value to Tampa in trade. While trading Brujan for proven help is a pure buy move, trading him for different prospects,or controllable talents, is more Tampa than Gulf Coast beaches
Next: Salary Dumps