A fast-moving market in free agency could mean the MLB trade scene is more active than normal over the next few weeks and into January.
Now that Carlos Rodón has made his choice and signed with the New York Yankees, all that remains of free agency’s top tier is shortstop Dansby Swanson, so for teams still looking to plug holes, the solution could be on the trade block.
Ahead we’ve highlighted each of the biggest rumored and speculative trade candidates from around the MLB landscape, from the Toronto Blue Jays’ abundance of catching talent to the recent rumblings that Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried could become available.
From there, we gave our take on whether those players should be shipped out or held heading into the 2023 season.
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Outfielders
The emergence of Daulton Varsho and Jake McCarthy in 2022, coupled with the arrival of top prospects Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas, has created a logjam in the Arizona Diamondbacks outfield.
Not surprisingly, the team is entertaining the idea of dealing from that strength, though Carroll is “off-limits” in trade talks, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal goes on to note that Varsho is the least likely of the three remaining outfielders to be moved. That makes sense given the fact that he’s the most established of the three and offers the added value of handling occasional starts behind the plate.
The D-backs’ best choice would be to flip Thomas while his upside is still high enough to drive his value. That’s not to say the 22-year-old can’t still be an impact player, but he looked overmatched in his first taste of the big leagues with a 76 OPS+ in 411 plate appearances, and his batted-ball metrics are not pretty.
A team in need of center field help could place a premium on his standout defense, and that would help Arizona maximize its return.
Verdict: Trade Alek Thomas
Toronto Blue Jays’ Catchers
The Toronto Blue Jays have two of the best all-around catchers in baseball, with Alejandro Kirk (No. 4) and Danny Jansen (No. 12) both earning a place on our ranking of the top 25 players at the position based on 2022 production.
They also have an exciting young up-and-comer in Gabriel Moreno, who began the 2022 season as the No. 7 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America. The 22-year-old hit .319/.356/.377 for a 111 OPS+ in 73 plate appearances in his first MLB action.
With top free agents Willson Contreras and Christian Vázquez both signed and Sean Murphy traded by the Oakland Athletics, the Blue Jays organization is an obvious place for teams that still need catching help to turn to.
Hot take: Toronto should keep all three of them.
The best DH option for the Blue Jays is whoever is not catching that day, but teams are usually hesitant to use their backup catcher in that role in case something happens to the starter.
Keeping all three and relying on two to handle the starting catcher and designated hitter roles each day is a great way to keep all three fresh without stretching the roster too thin or entering a situation where an emergency catcher is needed.
Established catching talent will always be in demand, so if a pressing need arises at midseason, the Blue Jays can always revisit trade talks. For now, they should hold their most obvious trade chips.
Verdict: Hold all three