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Winter Meetings primer: Every team's trade temperature on the hot stove
Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays has been linked to several teams as a potential trade target. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

MLB Winter Meetings primer: Every team's trade temperature on the hot stove

The crown event of the Major League Baseball winter is underway, with baseball’s Winter Meetings officially underway in National Harbor, Maryland. And while some awards will be given and Hall of Famers named (congratulations to John Scherholtz and Bud Selig, by the way), the main order of the week is getting free agency into full swing and cooking up potentially game-changing deals on the hot stove.

Every team in the game has a stake in the affairs that take place and an agenda to address. As is such, it is a good time to check in on the status of where each team stands headed into the week. Who is buying, who is selling and who is sitting back in the wings, waiting to find the moment to make an impact? All of these things will happen and each can take place seemingly out of nowhere.
Here is a brief look at some tasks that each team has ahead of them as negotiations heat up in Maryland. And who stands to be a big winner as well as who could walk away as losers.   Arizona Diamondbacks After a season that failed to live up to expectations after a headline generating winter, that saw them spend over $200 million alone on Zack Greinke, the D’Backs enter this winter with a much more grounded outlook this year.

Having already made the biggest trade of the offseason thus far by sending shortstop Jean Segura to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for promising starter Taijuan Walker, they will enter the week looking to continue to upgrade their pitching staff via the bullpen. Among the targets that make sense for them are a pair of familiar options in Daniel Hudson and Brad Ziegler, as they are unlikely to bid in the upper tier closer market.
Atlanta Braves They are squarely in the middle of a rebuilding effort, but are past the point of stripping their roster too. They have already added Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Jaime Garcia to their starting rotation, as well as Sean Rodriguez to solidify their infield behind their promising young battery up the middle.
However, their ambition for the week could revolve around the availability of Chris Sale, and to a lesser extent, Chris Archer. Such a move would be an immediate move to get back into the race in the East much sooner than later, but the prospect cost could be prohibitive for a team so reliant on its up and coming talents. It would not be surprising to see them look for an upgrade behind the plate as well, with Matt Wieters, Wilson Ramos and Alex Avilia standing out, among others.
Baltimore Orioles They are engaged on attempting to bring back American League home run leader Mark Trumbo, but have thus far been unable to get eye-to-eye on terms. While that looms as an obvious goal, if they open up their purse strings some the Orioles could also opt to go the route of obtaining multiple pieces to push into their lineup.

Their corner outfield positions could both use more experience, and a more natural talent in the leadoff spot would help as well. Among the players that would be fits are Dexter Fowler (who nearly signed in Baltimore a year ago), Ben Revere, and Angel Pagan. On a lesser level, Michael Saunders would make sense as well. Ian Desmond would also be a strong addition, and one they have been linked with headed into the Winter Meetings.   Boston Red Sox Replacing David Ortiz should be the top priority, and it is one they will need to get to work on in a hurry. Carlos Beltran and Matt Holliday both signed deals over the weekend, shortening up the already thin designated hitter market. Edwin Encarnacion remains the top option, as well as the best fit and would make their already dangerous lineup not miss too much of a beat without Papi.

In addition to plugging their DH spot, continuing to upgrade the road in the bullpen to Craig Kimbrel is a must. They won despite an inefficient pen last year, but they will need to renovate it this offseason, with Brad Ziegler, Junuci Tawaza and Koji Uehara all gone. Taking a flier on a rehabbing Greg Holland would be a strong start, but reinforcing it with Neftali Feliz and Joe Blanton would be big as well.   Chicago Cubs Coming off of their World Championship run, the Cubs will have no lesser expectations than they did in route to their title. And in all truth, they have few areas of true weakness, but also could stand to fortify a few areas all the same. Adding Jon Jay to the outfield and Brian Duensing to the bullpen, and further additions in this vein should continue to take place.

A few more solidifying deals of this sort could be in place, but there could still be a push to both add more projectable starting pitching (such as the rehabbing Tyson Ross) and to still find a trade partner for Jorge Soler.
Chicago White Sox The Sox are the talk of baseball as they weigh the various offers that will come down for ace Chris Sale. They are in the unique position of being able to hold on while they await the right deal (i.e. haul of prospects) or the Sox can decide to wait into the season for an even sweeter trade.

Sale is not the only White Sox that could be on the move either, as virtually every part of their roster could be had for the right piece. So as opposed to negotiating with handfuls of free agents, general manager Rick Hahn will be looking to boost his roster for years to come. It is a (potentially) turning point week for the White Sox.
Cincinnati Reds Joey Votto has remained steadfast that he will not waive his no-trade clause, but that is not as much the case for Brandon Phillips anymore. After refusing to do so last winter, he could see the writing on the wall that it is time to move on. The Reds could find suitors that could use him, and the tracks could be laid for such a deal this week.

There has been some discussion that they could look to move speedster Billy Hamilton as well, but it’s not an absolute priority, as much as it extension of the ‘for sale’ sign that has been in their window for the last year still being in effect.
Cleveland Indians Mike Chernoff struck gold last winter in signing Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis, who were the perfect complimentary pieces to transform the Indians into variable run scoring unit they were last summer. He will be sitting in a similar position this winter in looking to replace both (or at least retain Napoli), while not bloating the team’s payroll too far.

They are in need of certain upgrades in the outfield, especially in a centerfield spot that became a defensive liability last year. Options on the open market that could fit include Ben Revere, Peter Bourjos or, if they are willing to spend a bit more, Carlos Gomez.
Colorado Rockies Colorado enters the Meetings with a curious goal: Mark Trumbo. Trumbo brings significant power that would take to Coors Field in an obvious fashion, but would come at a tremendous price - the 11th overall pick in the 2017 Draft. That is an obviously steep price to pay, or more accurately, surrender.

There are other options they could pursue to fill in their gaping hole at first base, such as Chris Carter, Adam Lind and Brandon Moss as well.
Detroit Tigers The Tigers are in a seller’s mindset currently, but it seems to be more of testing the tempature of the water around their roster, rather than jumping all the way in. Every player on their team, including Miguel Cabrera, has been discussed to one extreme or another in regards to trade talks so far.

In the end, a J.D. Martinez deal could be the most likely to happen, and is one they could continue to live on with afterwards. If it nets them an upgrade on the mound, as well as a promising pitching prospect or two (such as the Yoenis Cespedes trade did in returning 2016 Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer), the Tigers will have had a successful time at the Meetings.
Houston Astros They have been the busiest team in baseball early in the offseason, having already added Josh Reddick, Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Cuban defector Yulieski Gurriel to bolstering their already capable offense... and they may not yet be done.

They have been linked increasingly to Edwin Encarnacion as the Meetings have approached, and it has also been revealed that they were in on Yoenis Cespedes as well. They are serious about upgrading their team and could be big spenders in doing so.
There is some desire to add a top flight arm as well, although they are not likely to part from ultra-talented infielder Alex Bregman to do so, which could limit the ability to complete a deal.
Kansas City Royals This could be the end for the Royal recent resurgence, as many of their core contributors are set to reach free agency after the year. They could choose to go in one of two ways this winter: prepare for the inevitable or make another push, while choosing who is expendable and who isn’t.

They could be likely matches for teams that are looking to add pitching help, with Ian Kennedy, Jason Vargas, Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy being available. Closer Wade Davis was loosely available around the trade deadline, and a team that is willing to help the Royals find more financial flexibility by taking either a bad contract or relatively high contract such as Kennedy’s or Lorenzo Cain’s off their hands as well.

The first order of external business however will be to replace the power that was lost when Kendrys Morales signed in Toronto (once again, Carter would make sense here as well, as would Ryan Howard). Adding a veteran presence to the outfield and middle infield would be a big boost for the turning point season in KC as well.
Los Angeles Angels It will be an offseason of tweaks as opposed to sweeping changes for the Angels, who are still sweeping away some of the financial missteps of their past. Acquiring a left-handed infield bat would be helpful, with Chase Utley, Kelly Johnson and Chris Coghlan being reasonable options.

A position they may be forced to expand their comfort zone at could be catcher, where Wieters and Ramos both represent sizable, as well as necessary, upgrades to what they have aboard currently.
Los Angeles Dodgers It could be a very deciding time in Maryland for Andrew Friedman and company. Their big picture focus will be in landing one of the two big closers on the market between Aroldis Chapman or bringing back Kenley Jansen. In addition, they will attempt to stabilize their starting pitching by closing out an agreement with pitcher Rich Hill, while also finding a trade partner for Scott Kazmir or Brandon McCarthy, or maybe both.

Meanwhile, they have some further retention to do, as they will look to come to terms with Justin Turner as well. Yet at the same time, they could attempt to finish some unsettled business as well. The team twice made runs at acquiring Ryan Braun from Milwaukee during the 2016 season, as they are one of the few teams that could take on the remaining financial burden of his contract. It would not be surprising to see the two sides work a deal that would be one of the biggest headlines of the week.
Miami Marlins The Marlins are doing their work to land a premier reliever, and are in on Chapman and Mark Melancon. However, they are sparing no expense in pursuing Kenley Jansen, with reports indicating they are willing to offer in the range of $80 million for him over five years. It is the rare big ticket offer from a fiscally conservative franchise, but with the lack of impact starters available, they have decided to look towards shortening the game than overspending at the beginning of it.

This could also be a week of the Fish fielding offers regarding a number of their incumbent positional talent, as Marcell Ozuna, Derek Dietrich and Adeiny Hechavarria could all be available on the trading block.
Milwaukee Brewers The Brewers are in the middle of a rebuild and have restocked their minor system significantly over the course of the moves they have made already. The Winter Meetings could be spent finishing up their last remaining business, and that would be moving on from Ryan Braun.

Braun has a no-trade clause to all but six teams: the Dodgers, Marlins, Padres, Diamondbacks, Giants and Angels. The Dodgers are the best fit, as they have the type of pitching that the Brewers system still lacks.

At the major league level, the Brewers could opt to add a few short-term free agents to round out their roster, especially in the starting pitching staff, but overall it will be a week looking to unload rather than add much immediate help.
Minnesota Twins The Twins hold one of the most discussed trade chips in the market this year in Brian Dozier, who could be had for the right (but likely high) price. Dozier is a huge part of the Twins roster and they are not exactly advertising him as available, as they are receiving pitches from interested clubs.

In regards to what they need to do to stabilize their immediate roster needs, they already scratched one big need off the list by signing catcher Jason Castro. They still need to address their starting rotation and a veteran arm of the likes of Doug Fister or Brett Anderson could be of some value.
New York Mets The Mets struck big and struck early in locking up Yoenis Cespedes to a four year, $110 million pact before the new CBA was even complete. They will now turn their attention towards making their roster make more sense, as they have a glut of corner outfield options and need to move at least one out.

Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson both will be heavily pushed by the team as they look to bolster their bullpen, especially since the status of closer Jeurys Familia is up in the air following his domestic abuse accusations. Even if Familia is available to go on Opening Day, finding a trade partner that can return a high value setup man at the very least would go a long way towards tying up offseason business for the club before the New Year hits.
New York Yankees Brian Cashman has a few very specific areas to address this offseason and could come away from the Meetings with much accomplished in those areas. The addition of Matt Holliday to take on the team’s designated hitter role was a positive start to things on Sunday, but now there are some bigger fish to fry, as well as some more complicated issues.

The clear issue at hand is attempting to retain the services of Chapman for the second consecutive offseason. There has been mutual interest between the two sides, and the Yankees have no pause in offering record-setting deals of any sort, and Chapman is in order to set a new high water mark for relief contracts this winter (believed to be north of $90 million).

In addition to shoring up the back of the pitching staff, the team will need to consider how to solidify their staff for next year, as well as protect it beyond 2017. There is a scenario where Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia could all be gone by next season, so finding at least one open market arm (they have balked at the prospect price for Sale and other trade available starters thus far) will be important. Former Yankee Ivan Nova could be in the mix, as well as Tyson Ross and Derek Holland being a fit as well.   Oakland Athletics Outfield improvements should be at the top of the list of issues for the A’s to address, especially in center field. They have seen multiple changes at the position, having moved on from Billy Burns and Coco Crisp in the last year. But while centerfield is a clear need, the looking to add a corner outfielder could help to supply the type of power the team is missing too. They added Matt Joyce last week, but he has worked better in platoons historically, so adding a right-handed hitter such as Austin Jackson or Dustin Ackley would work. If they decide to upgrade at first base, former Athletic Brandon Moss could be a fit too.

As always, Oakland is open to deal as well, and All-Star catcher Stephen Vogt could be made available too. And considering they still need to add a veteran arm and left-handed reliever, Vogt could be the fall back option in getting a deal done.
Philadelphia Phillies The Phillies have turned the page from stripping their roster and are now at the ‘retooling’ stage of their turnaround campaign. They have already added veterans Howie Kendrick and Pat Neshek to stabilize the effort, but they still have some further depth additions they could make. Mainly, finding a first baseman with some power potential, as well as a corner outfielder. Brandon Moss checks both of those boxes, while Logan Morrison does as well. If they are ambitious, the trade market could wield the biggest steps forward, with J.D. Martinez standing out chiefly among the available outfielders being floated on the market.
Pittsburgh Pirates Everything for the Pirates right now centers around their potential to deal Andrew McCutchen or not. They have been heavily linked to a potential deal with the Washington Nationals, and there could be other suitors as well. Neal Huntington must be running a hard bargain in scouring the Nationals organization and matching it to his wish list, because the deal as been ‘imminent’ for nearly a week now, but has failed to materialize. Perhaps their sit-downs at the Winter Meetings will either make – or break – the possibility.

McCutchen is not the only member of the current Bucs that could be on the move, as Josh Harrison and Tony Watson could be available as well. Huntington is attempting the difficult maneuver of retooling, while not falling out of contention, and needs upgrades to their starting pitching staff and bullpen to do pull it off. And dealing from the current deck this week would be the quickest and best way to accomplish that mission. San Diego Padres
All indications seem that the Padres are willing to move anybody not named Wil Myers from their roster, so it could be a yard sale for A.J. Preller and company. They have already floated Yangervitis Solarte on the market leading into the Meetings, and due to his ability to play both third and second base, he could receive considerable interest especially due to the lack of third base options on the market.

As for additions, they could use a pair of veteran arms for their very young (and underwhelming) starting rotation. Adding a utility man option to their infield would be solid investment as well, especially if a deal is met for Solarte.
San Francisco Giants They will enter the meetings with their sights set squarely on sorting out their eroding bullpen situation, and that focus has been most closely set on Mark Melancon thus far. It is rumored they have offered in the neighborhood of $60 million for the All-Star closer, who would instantly alleviate their 58% save conversion rate, which came in at 12th out of 15 NL clubs.

Further relief options could be sought after as well, as their issues were far from a one man fix. In addition, they could look to find a fit to upgrade in left field and third base as well, although the much clearer need is adding some power somewhere, regardless of position. Their slugging percentage dropped beneath .400 as a team last year.
Seattle Mariners Jerry Dipoto got his second offseason at the helm in Seattle off to another active start by going out and acquiring Jean Segura from Arizona to address both the team’s shortstop and leadoff hitter issues. He also made some significant depth additions by getting Danny Valencia from Oakland and Carlos Ruiz from the Dodgers.

Moving from here, locating an upgrade to the team’s corner outfield production is crucial if they are to continue the climb up the AL West that finally showed progress last summer. The Mariners have been prone to becoming a surprise destination for marquee free agents before, so on one extreme it would not be surprising to see them get involved with Jose Bautista or Dexter Fowler. However, landing a Rajai Davis or engaging the Mets on either Jay Bruce or Curtis Granderson wouldn’t be the worst idea either.
St. Louis Cardinals They have a clear need to upgrade in center field, where inconsistent play as a whole limited their potential a year ago. Dexter Fowler is the best fit, as he also allows them to permanently move Matt Carpenter out of the leadoff spot and to a more productive slot lower in the lineup. However, if Fowler’s rumored $18 million per year asking price (along with his attachment to a qualifying offer compensation pick to their chief rivals in Chicago) is too much, John Mozeliak could turn his attention towards Carlos Gomez or engage on the trade market as well.

There is also the option that has been kicked around in leaving Randal Grichuk in center field and instead adding a corner outfielder. This could bring Ian Desmond (who grades much better in left as opposed to center field) or any number of trade options into play as well. One thing for certain is that the Cardinals have to get better defensively if they are to make up any of the 17 games between them and the Cubs in the Central next year.
Tampa Bay Rays As holders of the most cost effective, yet talented young pitching stock in all of baseball, the Rays always have the ability to mix up affairs on the hot stove. While they have been (understandably) hesitant to pull the trigger on deals involving Chris Archer, the likes of Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb could be instant booster shots into many rotations around the game that are hard up to find upgrades this winter.

If the Rays do decide to get into the mix, the return for any of their arms will likely be pricey, and will involve a return of top prospects, with a mix of controllable outfield talent as well. They could also be in line to be a dark horse to acquire any of the catching talent that could hang out on the market too long as well.
Texas Rangers The two primary focuses for the Rangers are solidifying their center field situation, as well as fortifying their starting rotation. The center field issues is compounded by the fact that both of their primary CF’s from last year, Ian Desmond and Carlos Gomez, are on the open market. They could look to bring back one or the other, with Desmond being the first option, or to look into trade market as well. It has been reported that the team has some interest in Billy Hamilton, who would be both a defensive and obvious base running upgrade to either of the team’s 2015 outfield occupants.
As for upgrading their rotation, the Rangers are looking to the trade market as opposed to delving further into the  lukewarm options available in free agency (they already inked Andrew Cashner to a one year, $10 million option in November). Sale could be an option here, but it they are a bit prospect starved at the moment after headline deals to add Cole Hamels, Jonathan Lucroy and Beltran over the past year and a half.
Toronto Blue Jays With both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion currently looking to be more likely to leave Toronto than stay put, the Jays are looking in a multitude of different directions to brace themselves for that outcome.

They started by signing designated hitter Kendrys Morales early in free agency, and have since been linked to Mitch Moreland as an option to take over at first base full time. This would essentially block any path back for Encarnacion. They also brought in utility man Steve Pearce earlier today on a reported two-year deal His presence can help at both corner outfield positions, as well as in the infield too. This will help the blow from a Michael Saunders departure, as well as a potential Bautista leap as well.

They have also kept their sights on Fowler, who would move to a corner spot next to Gold Glover Kevin Pillar in the Toronto outfield. It could be a resourceful week for the Jays, especially if the Encarnacion era comes to a decisive close.
Washington Nationals The Nats are as all-in on the blockbuster deal market as any team in baseball right now. Mike Rizzo is in talks with both the Pirates regarding McCutchen and the White Sox on Sale. It remains to be seen if it is realistic that he could acquire both of the biggest names on the trade block, especially since Trea Turner has been listed as unavailable, but it is highly likely he could add one. And that is fairly intriguing enough, considering the strides the Nats made last year with a slumping Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg missing the postseason entirely.
 

The Nats also have issues to address in their bullpen, and are interested in both Aroldis Chapman and in retaining Mark Melancon. The Nats could be either the splashiest winner or the biggest loser this week, if none of these deals failure to materialize and they miss out in the marquee closer market as well.

 

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