Are there any MLB players left to trade?
With winter meetings closing shop on Thursday, teams decided to throw a massive going-away party in San Diego. A frenzy of deals hit the fan before concluding the convention, spawning many of the offseason's hottest rumors.
Constant chatter on the Yoenis Cespedes front halted when the Boston Red Sox finally dealt him for starting pitcher Rick Porcello. As had been speculated, the Cincinnati Reds shipped out Mat Latos, and the Los Angeles sent Matt Kemp packing to San Diego.
However, not every general manager crossed all the items off their to-do list. Teams don't just unplug the phones until July's deadline, so moves will still surface before Opening Day.
Here's a look at some buzz that didn't materialize during the winter meetings.
Mariners Desire Ian Desmond
For a team with two interesting options at shortstop, the Seattle Mariners are awfully interested in upgrading.
Brad Miller and Chris Taylor each posted a 1.4 WAR last season. Although Taylor benefited from a lofty .398 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), Miller struggled due to his low .268 BABIP.
Yet, Miller hit .221/.288/.355, while Taylor contributed zero home runs and a .346 slugging percentage. Hungry to contend, the Mariners would rather upgrade to Ian Desmond than let their young players develop. Per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Washington Nationals are listening due to interest in Miller.
ESPN's Jim Bowden later added that young starting pitchers Taijuan Walker and James Paxton are off the table for Washington's shortstop.
Although Desmond has his flaws—particularly a 28.2 strikeout percentage last year—he's also the only shortstop riding a streak of three straight 20/20 seasons. No shortstop possesses a better WAR during those years.
So why would Washington consider moving him on after winning the National League East? His slugging percentage has deteriorated in each of the last two campaigns, and he's due for a massive raise when his contract expires next year.
The addition of Nelson Cruz alongside Robinson Cano shows Seattle is clearly sick of slumbering in October. Given the sheer scarcity at shortstop, the playoff hopeful might have to shell out one of those young arms in order to land Desmond.
Marlins Seeking Justin Morneau
On the heels of signing Giancarlo Stanton to a historic extension, the Miami Marlins have flicked their switch back to spending mode. Gearing up for another playoff push, they acquired Dee Gordon and Mat Latos.
Gradually morphing into a dangerous club, the Marlins could use some reinforcements at first base, where they received a .715 OPS and 98 Weighted Runs Created (wRC+). General manager Dan Jennings is aware of that hole, and he has a solution in mind.
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported Miami's interest in Morneau on Wednesday night. The next day, however, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel deflated those hopes with a sobering update.
After registering a combined 0.2 WAR from 2011 to 2013, the former American League MVP rebounded in a massive way last season, hitting .319/.364/.496 for the Colorado Rockies. Buying a Colorado slugger always brings regression fears to the surface, but Morneau hit .309/.364/.475 away from Coors Field in 2014, albeit with only six home runs.
His .665 OPS against left-handed pitching creates more concern, and a prudent organization would consider platooning the veteran, who turns 34 in May.
The Marlins are on an odd cycle of pinching every penny while building from within and throwing caution to the wind when the potential for better days enters their peripheral vision. With one year remaining on his contract, Morneau represents a stopgap who would generate much less power in Marlins Park.
They shouldn't fret about missing out on Morneau, especially if he would have cost them another top-tier prospect.
Dodgers Will Make Erisbel Arruebarrena Available
Andrew Friedman wasted no time getting down to business, retooling the Los Angeles Dodgers with a slew of offseason transactions.
Los Angeles will enter 2015 with a new double-play pairing up the middle, acquiring Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins to replace the departed Dee Gordon and Hanley Ramirez. That still leaves shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena on the outside looking in next year.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers will now shop the international free agent less than a year after signing him.
Jumping around four different minor league levels, the 24-year-old hit .259/.304/.417 last season, inflicting the most damage while up in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Nobody ever expected any offense from him, but he remains a defensive wizard at a position where premium bats are almost impossible to find.
Despite never playing an MLB game, he'll earn $22 million over the next four years, per Cot's Baseball Contracts. While teams may balk at awarding that sum to someone with no experience, other organizations could see a cost-effective asset who will come cheaper than any free-agent alternative.
Since Rollins has one year left on the contract, the Dodgers are one of few teams who could eat Arruebarrena's salary for another season to keep him around for 2016.
Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.
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