The MLB trade market may not really heat up until the big names in free agency are signed, sealed and delivered, but there are still rumors already making the rounds about several players.
Let's break down some of the juicier buzz.
Clay Buchholz, SP, Boston Red Sox
Clay Buchholz is an interesting case study. On one hand, he has the intellect and the stuff to be an ace for the Boston Red Sox. But the 31-year-old's long injury history has prevented him from reaching that status.
And that has teams around baseball wondering if Buchholz could be had for the right price.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "Buchholz’s name is already rolling off the lips of some mid- to small-market teams who believe they could trade for him if the Red Sox have bigger fish to fry in pursuit of a true ace who can stay healthy."
An unnamed American League general manager broke down the conundrum of bringing aboard Buchholz, via Cafardo:
Everyone is aware of his history, and the potential that he won’t make 80 percent of his starts, but for the price, a lot of teams will make inquiries to Boston about him.
Everyone knows the frustration level he brings, but we all know how good he can be also. He’s reaching that age where he’s learned how to pitch. Sometimes a player or pitcher gets a lot of injuries in the first half of their careers because they haven’t figured out what they need to do to stay healthy. There’s always the hope that Buchholz figures that all out.
If he can, he’s as good as anyone out there.
Buchholz went 7-7 with a 3.26 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 107 strikeouts in 113.1 innings pitched and 18 starts. The two-time All-Star has pitched 170 or more innings just three times in his career.
The Red Sox don't need to trade him, of course. After picking up his $13 million option on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN), the team could look to pick up a more reliable ace on the market like David Price or Zack Greinke and keep Buchholz to build a top-tier pitching staff.
Money might become an issue in that case, however, and moving Buchholz could free up funds and bring the Sox a nice young player or two in the process.
Starlin Castro, 2B, Chicago Cubs
Starlin Castro has the very unfortunate case of being a good player who simply may not have a future in Chicago. The Cubs appear to have the middle of the infield locked down for years to come with Addison Russell and Javier Baez, making Castro the team's best trade chip.
And, once again, they may look to cash in on it, according to Julie DiCaro of 670 The Score:
Of course, the Cubs have options. One particular option they've reportedly discussed, to make room for the trio of Castro, Russell and Baez is to move the young Baez to the outfield, according to Tony Andracki of CSN Chicago.
"The overriding policy is the more versatility, the better," president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told Andracki, and manager Joe Maddon has never been accused of conventional thinking, so a move to the outfield for Baez seems possible.
Plus, he played all four infield positions during the regular season for the team, so he certainly seems to have the versatility and athleticism to make the move.
In that case, Castro would likely have a place—at least in the short term—at second base. He played well for the team this season, hitting .265 with 11 home runs and 69 RBI, giving the Cubs a nice bat to go along with the big boppers, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.
On the other hand, the Cubs have a wealth of young talent in the outfield, too, so the wise choice might be to simply move a player like Castro and upgrade a bigger need, like adding more quality arms to the rotation.
Regardless, the team has options. And one of the most likely options still seems to be moving Castro in a trade.
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