The most attractive targets in MLB's early trade market
Usually trading season begins after the draft, which begins next Monday. Afterward, teams redeploy scouts and attention to more fully explore what is available — as buyers and sellers — as the July non-waiver deadline approaches.
But a somewhat significant deal between the Rays and Mariners already has taken place (with Alex Colome and Denard Span going to Seattle). And the Padres and Royals are, at minimum, willing to listen now, according to executives (Jon Heyman of FanRag reported last week about Kansas City being open for business).
That the Padres and Royals began Wednesday a combined 42-69 indicates they will not have much to offer. Whom these teams want to move, and whom they will be able to and get something appealing back for, is different. Kansas City, for example, would love to offload the contracts of Alex Gordon, Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy and, well, good luck with that.
Mike Moustakas has played well after returning on just a $6.5 million deal. But there is just not much of a market for third basemen. The most attractive piece is closer Kelvin Herrera (0.87 ERA), but even his value is dimmed at least somewhat because he is a free agent after this season. Almost every contender looks to upgrade its pen in July, but keep a particular eye on the Astros, Angels, Braves, Indians and Red Sox.
The Padres, meanwhile, would love to escape from the three years at $64 million owed Wil Myers after this season. But the reason (beyond their glut of outfielders and Eric Hosmer now entrenched at first base) is that Myers has not turned into a star or shown he can stay healthy, which will make moving him arduous.
The Padres’ most attractive piece right now is Tyson Ross, who is pitching his best since 2015. The problem is that he hardly pitched at all in 2016-17, particularly because of a shoulder injury, which will give interested teams pause in considering him. This version of Ross is 4-3 with a 3.29 ERA, striking out better than one batter an inning and doing well on the road away from the pitching haven in San Diego. He makes just $1.75 million this year, which puts him on any contender’s budget, but he also is a free agent following this season.
A surprising ‘Mark’
Who is your favorite breakout player of 2018? Gleyber Torres? Ozzie Albies? Aaron Nola?
How about Nick Markakis, who is 34 and is nearing 1,900 games. Always a good player in the Brett Gardner/Asdrubal Cabrera mode, he is (like Cabrera) having a career year. But it is a career year that forces you to look at the totality of his work.
He led the NL with 73 hits, which brought him to 2,125 for his career. The only player with more to never make an All-Star Game is Juan Pierre (2,217), and that could change this year with Markakis third in the NL in batting (.338), seventh in OPS (.911), sixth in RBI (38) and ninth in runs (33).
And if this is actually some kind of late-career surge (something Daniel Murphy-ish), could Markakis make a run at 3,000 hits? And if he does, what would the Hall of Fame candidacy look like for a, so far at least, zero-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who has never received an MVP vote.
My suspicion is he ultimately falls into the Johnny Damon (2,769)/Vada Pinson (2,757) realm of a durable hit collector who was consistently good, but not great enough to make a serious Hall run.