MLB players who could use a change of scenery

MLB's Winter Meetings will take place in Las Vegas Dec. 9-13. During those five days, we're likely to see plenty of huge trades, in addition to free-agent signings. Here's a look at nine players who could benefit from a change of scenery via trade from their current teams.

Nicholas Castellanos, RF, Detroit Tigers

Castellanos is coming off arguably his best season, hitting .298-23-89 with a career-high .854 OPS as the Tigers middle-of-the-order bomber. He's doing just fine in Detroit, but the problem is that the team, following a 98-loss season, is wasting his talent and is without great prospects for improvement in the near future. Castellanos will be a free agent after the 2019 season, and the Tigers could maximize his trade value now while also helping him to join a contender.

Alex Cobb, SP, Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore's four-year, $57 million contract with Cobb looked like a bargain at the time, but that's certainly not the case after one year of the deal. Cobb had a 4.90 ERA in 28 starts, struggling to reclaim his changeup after Tommy John surgery in 2015. He did start to come around after the All-Star break, with a 2.56 ERA in 59.2 innings, so the remaining $43 million of the contract could still turn into that bargain. As for the O's, former Astros assistant general manager Mike Elias is likely to follow the model that made his former team successful by losing as many games as possible in the short term to strengthen its draft position. Cobb would certainly benefit from moving to a larger home ballpark and competitive team sooner than later.

Dexter Fowler, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

The marriage between Fowler and the Cardinals last season became uncomfortable, with Fowler hitting just .180-8-31 in 90 games and starting a feud with manager Mike Matheny before he was fired. With the emergence of Harrison Bader and readiness of Tyler O'Neill, the Cardinals have ample outfield depth and would likely listen if another team came calling to take on the remaining three years and $49.5 million on Fowler's contract. It will likely cost the Cardinals money to make the move, but both parties would probably be better for it.

Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies

Considered a future offensive star when he was coming up through the minors, Franco has regressed since his impressive arrival in 2015. Franco's .270 batting average and .780 OPS was still a bit of a resurgence, but he also lost playing time when manager Gabe Kapler wanted to employ a defensive infield. Franco's defense at third base is a liability to the point that he probably needs to be moved across the diamond, and that's not happening in Philadelphia. Franco could very well be the next Edwin Encarnacion, but the Phils don't have time to wait on him, as they have hopes of adding Bryce Harper and/or Manny Machado this offseason.

Sonny Gray, SP, New York Yankees

Trading Gray this offseason is all but certain after his disappointing 2018. The Yankees removed him from the rotation and have apparently decided that playing in New York isn't for him. In addition to dealing with the media, Gray also has to deal with the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium. After posting a 4.90 ERA last year, Gray is likely to find a new home soon.

Tom Murphy, C, Colorado Rockies

Murphy has seen a cup of coffee in each of the last four seasons with the Rockies, yet the team still hasn't given him regular at-bats. If the Rockies are not willing to give Murphy playing time, they should trade him to a team that is. The catcher has a chance to be a force offensively with 93 career home runs in nearly 2,000 plate appearances in the minors, along with 10 long balls in 210 plate appearances in the majors. He's already going into his age 28 season, so Colorado has wasted enough of his potential MLB career.

Wil Myers, OF/1B, San Diego Padres

Myers was a true team player last year, moving to the outfield when the Padres signed Eric Hosmer and then third base late in the season. What he had to show for it were multiple injuries, 83 games played and a mediocre defensive grade. The Padres are getting closer to competing but have a logjam of outfielders and probably don't see Myers as the long-term answer at third base. He could be tough to move with four-years and $73 million remaining on his contract, but the Padres owe him that possibility if he can't stay healthy away from first base.

J.T. Realmuto, C, Miami Marlins

Realmuto was one of the only true major league assets remaining after the Marlins had their fire sale last offseason, and to this point he's refused to sign a contract extension. The fact he was all alone in Miami last year didn't seem to impact his play on the field, but a trade seems inevitable as the Marlins continue to rebuild. If Realmuto is truly unwilling to sign long term with Miami, the team needs to trade him sooner than later to maximize his value.

Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves

Teheran has been an innings eater and occasional ace for the Braves since 2013, but the numbers say it could be time to move on. While Teheran had a sub-4.00 ERA last season, his FIP was near 5.00 for the second consecutive year, suggesting that it all could come crashing down soon. His control has regressed substantially lately, but a new voice or organization might help. The Braves have plenty of young pitching to replace him, and a new team and more low-pressure situations might do him some good.