Is it absurdly early in the 2023 MLB season to be putting together potential trade packages for the August 1 deadline?
Of course it is.
Did you click anyway, because trade proposals are fun no matter the time of year?
Of course you did.
Like every summer, big names are going to be on the move in a few months.
This year's crop of blockbuster swaps may include Shohei Ohtani, Bryan Reynolds, Gleyber Torres and more.
And though we'll need the next 100-plus days' worth of games to get a clearer sense of who this year's buyers and sellers will be, we were able to combine early educated guesses/postseason odds with team needs to figure out the ideal landing spots for the top players on the trade block.
Players are presented in alphabetical order. Statistics current through start of play Wednesday.
Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Kansas City Royals
The Player: Aroldis Chapman had a disappointing, injury-riddled/tattoo-infected 2022 campaign. It was his fourth consecutive season with a FIP higher than the year before. And at 35 years old, there simply wasn't much of an offseason market for what used to be one of the best closers in baseball. Kansas City scooped the lefty up on the cheap, hoping to turn him into a trade asset if he had a bounce-back year. And so far, so good, as Chapman has an early stat line of 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K.
The Contract Situation: Chapman is on a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Kansas City Royals. He will be a free agent this offseason.
The Landing Spot: Houston Astros. Not a single left-handed reliever took the mound for the Astros during the 2022 postseason, so it might not bother them that there's not a healthy southpaw reliever on this year's roster, either. There's also a good chance they would have no interest in bringing in Chapman, given what he had to say about Jose Altuve after the 2019 ALCS. But if they can get past that, it's a logical landing spot for a good left-handed reliever. Reunions with either the Cubs or Yankees could also make sense.
The Trade Package: Aroldis Chapman to Houston for RHP Miguel Ullola. This is basically an American League version of last year's Cubs/Phillies trade that saw a veteran, expiring-free-agent closer (David Robertson) get swapped for a low-A pitcher with promising strikeout stuff (Ben Brown). And goodness knows Kansas City is in the market for long-term options in the starting rotation.
C.J. Cron, 1B, Colorado Rockies
The Player: The Rockies haven't had much worth bragging about in recent years, but C.J. Cron has been a solid diamond in the rough, with 61 home runs and 202 RBI dating back to the beginning of 2021. Cron was an All-Star last year, and with four early home runs in the current campaign, he and LHP Kyle Freeland are on the short list of viable options to serve as Colorado's representative at this year's Midsummer Classic.
The Contract Situation: Cron is making $7.25 million in 2023. He will be a free agent this offseason.
The Landing Spot: Philadelphia Phillies. Rhys Hoskins (knee) probably won't play in 2023 after the freak injury he suffered late in spring training. His replacement, Darick Hall, is also now out indefinitely after suffering a torn ligament in his thumb last week. And considering the reigning NL champs were already going to be without Bryce Harper (elbow) at RF/DH for the first couple months of the season, the last thing they need is a band-aid solution at first base. They should trade for Cron, and they should do it as soon as possible.
The Trade Package: C.J. Cron to the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Gabriel Rincones Jr. We'll see how dire Philadelphia's 1B situation gets, but it might be willing to part with the 2022 third-round draft pick who hit .346 with 19 home runs at Florida Atlantic last year—especially if the Rockies are willing to make the deal happen sooner rather than later. The Phillies are also practically drowning in outfield prospects with eight among the top 14 players in their farm system, per MLB.com. And with Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos each under contract through at least 2025, what else are they going to do with some of those outfield prospects?